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Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes/Notes  techniques  et  bibliographiques 

The  Institute  has  attempted  to  obtain  the  best 
original  copy  available  for  filming.  Features  of  this 
copy  which  may  be  bibllographlcally  unique, 
which  may  alter  any  of  the  Images  In  the 
reproduction,  or  which  may  significantly  change 
the  usual  method  of  filming,  are  checked  below. 

L'Instltut  a  microfilm*  le  meilleur  exemplaire 
qu'll  lul  a  At*  possible  de  se  procurer.  Les  details 
de  cet  exemplaire  qui  sont  peut-Atre  uniques  du 
point  de  vue  bibliographique.  qui  peuvent  modifier 
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Coloured  pages/ 
Pages  de  couleur 

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Couverture  endommagie 

Pages  damaged/ 
Pages  endommagtes 

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Covers  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
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Pages  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
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Cover  title  missing/ 

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Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxed/ 
Pages  d^color^es,  tacheties  ou  piqu^es 

Coloured  maps/ 

Cartes  g^ographiques  en  couleur 

Pages  detached/ 
Pages  ditach^es 

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Encre  de  couleur  (i.e.  autre  que  bleue  ou  noire) 

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Univuriity  of  Alberta 
Edmonton 

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firat  paga  wKh  a  printad  or  illuatratad  impraa- 
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University  of  Alberta 
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dimpraasion  ou  d'illuatration  at  en  terminant  par 
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PORTRAITS    OF    THE    DELEGATES  TO  THE   INTER 


CharlcH  R.  Fl  nl,  United  States. 

A.  V'olordc,  Wolivia. 

Jolin  H.  Hou'jiTSon,  United  Staii 

Melclior  Obarrio,  Bolivia. 

M.  M.  E«lfe,  United  States. 

M.  ValdivieM),  Salvador. 

Clem.  Stiidehaker,  United  Stale- 

C.  N.  BlisK.  United  Statci*. 

CarloB  M.  Silva.  (;oloiHbia. 


11.  J.  CaBtellanoH,  Salvador. 
Vi.  Jone  M.  lliirtado.  C'ol(mi))ia. 

13.  •!.  Arrieta  WohkI,  Salvador. 

14.  Clinnu'o  Calderon.  ('oloml)ia. 

15.  .folili  K.  HatiKon,  United  Slatei- 

16.  Richard  Villafraiica,  I'oeta  Uiea. 

17.  E.  C.  Flalli»',  Hondurac. 

18.  F.  I'.  V.  Zi'garra,  Peru. 

1!).  Uenry  (i.  Davis,  United  StateK. 


i!0.  F.  A.  Silva,  \mi. 

ai.  Alberto  Nin.  I  rm 

Mi.  !,ayfayette  li.  IVn 

23.  J.  de  V.  Vawoiii 

24.  F.  Cm/.,  (iiiiiiriiij 
as.  J.  A.  F.  daCnM,! 
a»i.  Matios  RoniiT".  M 
ar.  J.  Zelaya,  llonilnt 
as.  J.  U.  do  AmaralV 


TIONAL  OR   P 


Brazil. 
Brazil. 

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F.  A.  Silvn,  Vi'iir/i 

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hnyfayette  U  I'l'f 

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,  K.  Cniz,  (fUiiii'iiiil 

.  .1.  A.  F.  (lii<'"-'«l 

.  MtttioH  Roiiiir". Ml 

.  .J.  Zelaya.  lltmiliii 

.  J.  (i.  do  AniMraMl 


Iby  r.  M.  Bill,  Wnshington,  D.  C. 

mONAL  OR   PAN-AMERICAN  CONGRESS,    1889-90. 


Brazil. 
Illra/ii. 

til. 

0. 

itr.Ilnixil. 


39.  Hon.  J.  U.  Itlnine,  United  Stntcx. 
SO.  M.  de  Mondoiicii.  Brazil. 
31.  S.  du  Mvndonca,  Hnizil. 
Hi.  N.  Boli't  PiTaza.  Vencznela. 

33.  CarloH  S.  Martins,  Brazil. 

34.  Jimn  F.  V'elordo,  Bolivia. 

35.  N.  B.  Mont'^aB,  Venezuela. 
37.  U.  Ouznian,  Niearajiiia 

•IS.  M.  Aragou,  Costa  liicu. 


30.  A.  A.  Adec,  United  States. 

40.  Walker  Blaine,  United  Stat  ;b. 

41.  J.  B.  Moore,  United  States. 
48.  M.  Velorde,  Bolivia. 

43.  Lieut.  11.  P.  Leinley.  United  States  Army. 

44.  t'apt.  J.  O.  Burke,  United  States  Army. 
4.5.  William  U.  Trescot,  Unite*!  States. 

40.  J.  Fcnuer  Lee,  United  States. 


The 

North, 


OP  THE  GAEAT  V 

RES 


()[] 


VIEWS    IN     THK     I 

triiA,  lilt 
o 


A 

Bl 

AI 

THOU 

DP 

"THE  !• 

STATKS 

FOU  SCH 

'i.ossirro's  J 

Wll 


THB    COUNTRIES 


OF 


The  Vestcrn  V0RI2D. 

THE  GOVERN/^ENTS  AN9  PEOPLE 

OK 

North,  South  and  Central  America, 

FROM  THE  LANDING  OF  COLUMBUS  TO  THE  PRESENT  TIME. 


PEN  AND  PKNCIL  PICTURES 

OF  THE  QilEAT  WONDERLANDS  OF  CUE  REPDBLIO,  THEIR  NATURAL  SCENERY  AND  CELEBRATED 
RESORTS,  THE  STORY  OF   OCR  MARVELLOUS  PROGRESS  AND  GROWTH 
AS  A  NATION  i  WITH  PICTURESQUE  SKETCHES  OF 

OIK  CONTINENT  BEYOND  THE  STATES 

COMPRISING 

VIEWS   I.N    THE     DOMINION   OF   CANADA,    HER     PROVINCES   ANU   CIIIES  ;    THE     KEFIJHI  IC     OK     MEXK'l  ; 

cmiA,    THE  i;E.M   ok   the   ANriI.I,ES;     THE    HAHA.MA    ISLANDS,  AND    All,    HIE   COIMRIES 

OF   SOUTH    AND   CENTRAL  AMERICA,  THEIR   CAPITALS  AND    SEAPORTS. 


A  Grand,  Descriptive,  Historical  and  Statistical  Work. 


PREPARED    BY 


BENSON  J.  LOSSING,  LL.D., 

AITHoll  OP  "THE  IMCTOniAL  FIKl.I)  BOOK  OK  THK   IlKVOI-lTION,"   "THE  HAIt  o*"   181'J."   "A    llltiTOllV   OP  THK  INITKI) 

STATES   POU  SPHOOI.8."   "THK  CIVIL  WAR."   "LIVES  OK   EMINENT  A.MEI1ICANX,"   "THE   HOME  OP  WASHINttTON," 

"I.OSSI?:u'l»  BOOK  OP  THE  HUDSON."    "OUB    COl'NTKT,"    "THE  OIIHAT  ntrl'Rl.IC  OP  THE  WEsT."    hTC, 

AND  OTHER  WELL-KNOWN  WRITERS. 


ILLdSTRATED 


Willi    NUMEROUS    ENGRAVINGS  OF   THE   MAGNHICENI'   SCENEKV    DK   i)l  R 

WONDERLANDS   AND    PLACES   OF    PICTURESQUE 

AND    HIsrORIC    INTERESr. 


N  K.  W    V  0  K  K  : 

GAY    BROTHERS    c^^    CO., 

30,  32,  34  READE  STREET. 
1890. 


mm 


,( 


l.ltST     OF     AUTHORS. 

liKNSON-  J.   LOSSING,   LL.D. 
Cur  Illation;   The  Story  of  Its  Progress  and  Gro*it!.. 

GEO.   J.    HAGAR. 
Beyond   the   States. 

A.    H.    GEURNSEY.    T'li.  D. 

AND 

JOHN  E.   REED 
Great  Wonderlands  of  Cur  Republic. 


Cui'VKiGHiEL),  1890,  iiY  Gay,  Brothkrs  iS;  C: 


LlUAtY  9F  TH£  UNJVUSITY 
W  ALlEtTA 


PREFACE. 


The  present  is  an  auspicious  time  to  present  to  tlv  )ublic  a  work 
showing  at  one  view  the  wonderful  development  .Ind  progress  of  the 
countries  of  the  western  world,  together  with  the  marvellous  scenery 
of  our  wonderlands  and  resorts. 

The  volume  in  hand  contains  a  concise  and  rapid  review  of  ill 
the  nations  of  our  continent,  including  the  story  of  Our  Nation's 
Progress  and  Growth,  giving  in  interesting  and  entertaining  form  the 
salient  points  of  our  national  development  from  the  discovery  of  the 
continent  to  the  present  time.  This  cannot  fail  to  be  of  great  value 
to  the  busy  reader  who  has  not  the  time  to  devote  to  more  extensive 
works.  It  may  be  depended  upon  as  accurate  and  reliable,  the 
description  of  each  event  having  been  carefully  verified  as  to  its  his- 
torical correctness. 

While  the  great  republic  of  the  West  has  made  such  rapid  strides 
in  her  national  progress,  sister  republics  have  arisen  upon  her  southern 
border,  and  in  Central  and  South  America,  modelled  upon  her  Consti- 
tution. The  lands  of  the  Montezumas  and  the  Incashave  taken  on  a 
new  type  of  civilization.  Customs  and  traditions,  transplanted  from 
the  countries  of  Europe  to  their  American  colonies,  have  been  modi- 
fied and  transformed  by  the  blending  of  the  races  until  the  sovereign 
nations  first  represented  in  the  Pan-American  Congress,  held  at  Wash- 
ington, D.  C,  in  1890,  have  displayed  the  great  fact  tl.at  they  are  all 
together  moving  forward  to  a  common  destiny.  The  spirit  of  unity 
and  of  peaceful  arbitration,  as  well  as  of  commercial  reciprocity  urged 
by  this  Congress  upon  the  respective  governments  represented  there- 
in, shows  a  tendency  to  continental  unity  of  aim. 

In  order  that  the  general  reader  may  become  fully  informed  upon 
their  condition,  political,  commercial,  and  social,  interesting  chapters 
of  a  historical  and  descriptive  nature  have  been  introduced  showing 
the  form  of  government,  with  statistics  respecting  the  educational 
facilities,  military  and  naval  forces,  and  religious  condition  of  these 
nations   of  the   western   hemisphere   which   lie  beyond  the  United 


2090609 


iv 


I'RKFACE. 


* 


S^tatcs.  The  dominion  of  Canada  on  the  north,  and  Cuba,  "  the  Key 
to  the  Antilles,"  with  the  Uahama  Islands,  have  each  been  treated  in 
chapters  specially  assigned  to  them. 

An  interesting  portion  of  the  work  is  specially  devoted  to  the 
natural  scenery  presented  by  ocean,  lake,  mountain,  and  river  through- 
out the  great  "Wonderlands  of  Our  Republic."  These  have  long 
attracted  the  admiration  of  the  native  and  foreign  tourist,  and  awaken- 
ed an  intense  desire  in  all  classes  of  readers  to  become  better  ac- 
quainted with  the  majestic  wonders  and  varied  scenes  of  our  land. 
These  chapters,  which  include  the  celebrated  resorts  of  the  United 
States,  are  surrounded  with  pictures([ue  and  historic  interest  to  al! 
readers.  To  those  who  have  had  the  time  and  opportunity  to  visit 
all  or  any  of  these  famous  places,  a  perusal  of  these  sketches  will 
awaken  pleasant  recollections  and  renew  the  thrilling  sensations  of 
grandeur  and  sublimity  which  the  scenes  themselves  at  first  aroused. 
While  for  that  large  class  of  our  readers  who  have  not  had  the  oppor- 
tunity of  personally  viewing  them,  these  pen  and  pencil  pictures 
will,  in  large  measure,  supply  the  place  of  actual  visitation.  While  to 
those  contemplating  a  visit  to  any  of  our  celebrated  resorts,  an  op- 
portunity is  offered  to  make  themselves  familiar  with  the  peculiar 
charms  of  each. 

The  historic,  descriptive,  and  picturesque  features  of  this  work 
cannot  fail  to  most  highly  recommend  it  to  all  readers.  This  work  is 
therefore  published  for  readers  of  every  class,  with  the  belief  that  it 
will  satisfy  the  renewed  interest  in  the  wonderful  achievements  of  our 
Continent,  everywhere  rich  in  noble  names  and  grand  events  ;  and  also 
with  the  assurance  that  it  will  furnish  much  desired  information  upon 
those  subjects  which  are  valuable  to  every  American — in  the  broadest 
sense  of  that  word — who  believes  in  the  grand  future  awaiting  this 
Western  Hemisphere  of  Republics. 


NATURAL 


CONTENTS. 


Preface  ... 
List  of  Illustrations 


HI 

XXV 


The  Great  Wonderlands  of  Our  Repiihlic: 

NATURAL   SCKNKRY    AND    CKLEHRATKI)    RK.SOKTS. 

NKW  KNGI.ANF)  CO.XST  SCKNKS-The  Coast  Line-The  I'roix.scd  Tour- 
Route  Selected — Long  Island  Sound — Newport — Location — Former  Naval  Station  — 
The  Round  Tower — Various  Attractions— Oj)en  to  All  — I'opulation  -  Nantasket  Beach 
IMymouth— Miles  Standish  'I'lie  "  XLiytlower "— Karly  Settlement  of  I'lymouth  - 
Natural  Features— Pilgrim  Rock  — I'lymouth  Hall— Cajje  Cod— Form — Area-  Deriva- 
tion of  its  Name— Sand — Cranberry  Marshes— Villages— Provincetown— Fisheries  - 
Whales— Characteristic  Scenes — New  Bedford  Decline  of  the  Whale  Fisheries- 
Manufactures  Buzzard's  Bay  and  Vicinity — Wood's  Holl — .NLirtha's  Vineyard  Dis- 
covery-Attractions — Cottage  City — (lay  Head  Nantucket — (leological  Formation — 
Discovery— Settlement  by  Thomas  Macey —Fisheries— Population — "The  (larden  of 
Fden  " — Climate— Sanitary  C(mdition— Return  to  Boston — Lowell— John  Eliot  - 
Cotton  Mills — Lake  Winnipiseogee  -  Farly  Notices  -  Later  Descriptions— Portland — 
Mount  Desert  Island — Area— Natural  Features  (Irowing  Importance — As  a  Pleasure 
Resort  -  Prosperity, S3 

THE  WHITE  MOUNTAINS— Location— First  Visit  by  White  Men— Increr'.sing 
Popularity — Various  Attractions — Ascent  of  Mount  Washington — Magnificent  Scenery 
— The  Notch  and  Vicinity — Franconia  Mountains — Other  Attractions,     ...         97 

THE  RANGELEV  LAKES— Location— Number— Names— Attractions  of  the 
Region — Routes — The  Dixville  Notch 104 

ALONG  THE  HUDSON— The  Hudson  River— Nivigation— Scenery— Pali- 
sades—The  Tappan  Zee—"  Sunnyside  " — "  Sleepy  Hollow  "— Nyack — Sing  Sing — The 
Croton  Aqueduct— "  Treason  Hill  "—Peekskill— The  Highland  Region— West  Point 
—Constitution  Island — Cornwall — Newburg — Poughkeepsie — Other  Cities— Claverack 
Valley — Albany — The  Capitol  Building — Feudal  System — Troy, 106 

THE  ADIRONDACS— Location— Elevation— A  VVil  d  Region— Mountains- 
Lakes  and  Ponds — Travelling — Routes— General  Aspect,  .  iiy 

I'HE  REGION  OF  THE  CATSKILLS— Location— Routes  Thereto- Catskin 
—  Kingston — Fame   of  the  Catskills— /"ittractions — Mountain  Views— Railroads  and 


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Hi 


vi.  CONTENTS. 

Stage  Lines — Sunset  Rock— Overlook  Mountain — The  Wallkill  Valley — New  Paltz — 
Sky  Top — Lake  Mohonk — Lake  Minncvaska, 120 

SARATOGA  SPRINGS— A  Famous  Resort— Hotels— Historic  Events— Miner  •' 
Springs — Attractions — Saratoga  Lake — Mt.  McGregor — Population,    ....       uS 

LAKE  GiiORGE — A  Democratic  Resort — Location  and  History — Attractions  of 
the  Region — Summer  Population, 132 

CHAUTAUQUA — Location — Elevation — Resorts — i^ducational  Centre  —  Build- 
ings— Schools — Recreations, 136 

AUSABLE  CHASM— Location— Falls— The  Chasm— A  Pleasant  Boat-ride,  138 

f 

I 

CHATEAUGAY  CHASM— Location— Lakes  in  the  Vicinity— Description  of  the 
Chasm — Efifects  of  the  Imagination — Rainbow  Basin — Giant  Gorge —Vulcan's  Cave — 
Other  Attractions — Increasing  Popularity, 140 

WATKINS  GLEN— Situation— Scenery— Cascades— The  Iron  Bridge— Hotel- 
Art  Gallery — The  Cathedral — Various  Attractions 144 

NIAGARA  F/ LLS — Volume  of  Water — Adequate  Description  Impossible — 
Niagara  River — Earliest  Mention  of  Falls — How  the  Falls  were  Formed — Rate  of 
Retrocession- Goat  Island — Width  and  Form  of  the  Falls — Cave  of  the  Wmds — 
The  New  York  State  Park — The  Queen  Victoria  Niagara  Falls  Park — Bridges  Across 
the  River — Below  the  Falls — The  Whirlpool — Villages, 149 

THE  THOUSAND  ISLANDS— The  St.  Lawrence  River— The  Rapids- 
Steamers — The  Morning  Hours — Various  Islands — Alexandria  Bay — Round  Island 
Park— Thousand  Island  Park — Evening  Scenes — Cottages — Westminster  Park — On 
the  River  Banks — The  Long  Sault— Lake  St.  Francis — Through  the  Rapids — Victoria 
Bridge — Montreal, 160 

CRESSON — Location — Elevation — Hotels  and  Cottages — Forests — Roads — Me- 
dicinal Springs, 172 

LEWISTOWN  NARROWS— The  Home  of  Logan— Natural  Curiosities— Indus- 
tries— Institutions  and  Buildings — Formation  of  the  Narrows, 172 


THE    ] 
Chasm — A 

GREE^ 
— Scenery,  . 

CONEY 
sure  Resort 
Divisions,    . 

LONG  ] 
Hotels— Vai 

ASBUR1 
of  the  Land 
— Attractions 

ATLAN1 
Churches  and 

CAPE  M 

— Bathing  Fa 

OLD  PO 

Neighboring 

THE    W 

Peaks— Medi 
— Healing  Sji 

JEKYL 
ments— Mane 

ST.  JOU 
Lake  Georgt 
as  a  Winter 

TEXAS 

Bridge— The 


CONTENTS.  vii. 

THE  HORSESHOE  CURVE— Up  Cxrade— A  Peculiar  Cun-e— Across  the 
Chasm— A  Curious  Delusion, 174 

(iREENWOOl)  LAKE — Location — Area — Numerous  Attractions — Camping  Out 
— Scenery, 176 

CONEY  ISLAND— Area  and  Location — Discovery — Early  History — As  a  Plea- 
sure Resort — New  Attractions — Elements  of  Popularity — Iron  Piers — Hotels — Four 
Divisions, 177 

LONG  BRANCH — Location — Attractions— Original  Settlement — The  Beach — 
Hotels— Various  Sections,     . 180 

ASBURY  PARK  AND  OCEAN  GROVE— Location  of  Asbury  Park— Purchase 
of  the  Land — Incorporation — Beach — Hotels — Lakes — Ocean  Grove — Management 
— Attractions — Population, 181 

ATLANTIC  CITY — Climatic  Advantages — Location— Railroad  Connections — 
Churches  and  Newspapers — Various  Attractions, 185 

CAPE  MAY  CITY— Location— Early  Settlement— Attractions— Cape  May  Point 
— Bathing  Facilities — City  Avenues — Hotels  and  Cottages, i86 

OLD  POINT  COMFORT— CHmate— Location— Fortress  Monroe— Hampton- 
Neighboring  Localities — Social  Enjoyments, 188 

THE  WHITE  SULPHUR  SPRINGS-Location— How  reached -Mountain 
Peaks — Medicinal  Spring — Popularity — Climate— Hotels  and  Cottages — Hot  Springs 
— Healing  Sjmngs — Sweet  Springs — Red  Siiiphur  Springs — Scenery,    ....        191 

JEKYL  ISLAND — Location — Former  Popularity — Recent  Pur-chase — Improve- 
ments— Management — Attractions— Climate, 193 

SI'.  JOHN'S  I  IVER — Rise  and  Course — Steamboat  Trip — Orange  Groves  — 
Lake  George — Luxuriant  Vegetation — Stopi)ing  Places — The  Everglades — Florida 
as  a  Winter  Resort, 195 

I'EXAS  AND  i'HE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST  — Scenery —  The  St.  Louis 
Bridge — The    Meramec    River — The   Iron   Mountain — Pilot    Knob    Mountain— The 


mt  J 


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vm. 


CONTENTS. 


Ozark  Mountain  Section — Beautiful  Scenes — The  Black  River — Little  Rock — Hot 
Springs— Medicinal  Character  of  the  Waters — Scenic  Beauty — Increasing  Popularity 
— Texas — Area — Elevation — Soil — Attractions  for  the  Sportsman — Agricultural  Pro- 
ductions— Austin — The  Capitol  Building — San  Marcos — San  Antonio — Rapid  Devel- 
opment— Historical  Associations — Natural  Bridge — Fort  Worth — Court  House — The 
Brazos  River — Big  Springs — Api)roaching  the  Rocky  Mountains — The  Sierra  Blanca 
Mountains — El  Paso — Attractions — El  Paso  del  Norte — Fort  Bliss — Ysleta,      .       200 

SCENES  IN  NEW  MEXICO— Characteristics  of  the  Region— An  Ancient 
Country — A  Trip  from  Enibudo — Fernandez  de  Taos — Indian  Festival — The  Pueblo 
de  Taos — The  Future  of  the  Section, 226 

HERE  AND  THERE  IN  THE  (IREAT  WES  T— Starting  Point— Warrens- 
burg — Agricultural  Operations — Great  American  Desert— Oklahoma — Scenes  in  Illinois 
— In  the  Vicinity  of  Ottawa — Deer  Park  (ilen-r-B^iley's  Falls — Iowa — Spirit  Lake — 
Little  S])irit  Lake — West  Okoboji  Lake — Minnesota — Lake  Minnetonka — Detroit 
Lake — Dakota — Lake  Minnewakan,  or  Devil's  Lake, 229 

THE  ROCKIES  AND  BEYOND— Nature  of  the  Scenery— The  Pioneer— 
Leadville — Methods  of  Travel — Mountain  of  the  Holy  Cross — Georgetown — Green 
Lake — Bow  Knot  Loop — Gray's  Peak  —  The  Cafions  of  Colorado — Cheyenne 
Canons — Manitou  Springs — Pike's  Peak — Rainbow  Falls — Garden  of  the  Gods — 
Toltec  Gorge — Garfield  Memorial — Grand  Caflon  of  the  Arkansas — The  Royal  Gorge 
— A  Stee])  Grade — Gunnison — Crested  Butte — Grotesque  Figures — Idaho  Springs — 
Location — Attractions — Medicinal  Springs — The  Chicago  Lakes — Echo  Lake — Hunt- 
ing Grounds— The  North  Park— The  Middle  Park— The  South  Park— The  San  Luis 
Park — Elevation  and  Attractions — A  Wild  Region — The  Green  River  and  Vicinity 
— Evanston — Echo  Caiion — Tunnel  and  Bridges — Pillars  of  Rock — Castle  Rock — 
Fossil  Remains— Rugged  Cliffs— Fulpit  Rock— The  Old  Wagon  Road— The  Weber 
Valley — Weber  Carton — The  Devil's  Slide — A  Famous  Tree — The  Salt  Lake  Valley 
— A  Magnificent  Region — Should  be  Visited  by  Americans, 247 

UTAH  AND  THE  GREAT  SAL  T  LAKE— An  Interesting  Section— Moun- 
tain  Ranges — Elevations — Sharp  Contrasts — Salt  Lake  City — Evidences  of  Prosperity 
— The  Great  Salt  Lake — Chemical  Constituents  of  the  Water — Density — Area  of  the 
Lake — Islands — Steamers — Cai^ons, 297 

YELLOWSTONE  NATIONAL  PARK -Early  Visitors— Scientific  Exploration 
— Reservation  by  Congress — Form  and  Area— Elevation — Rivers — Railroads — Mam- 


(I 


CONTENTS. 


ix. 


moth  Hot  Springs — Dead  Springs — The  Geysers  —Great  Geyser  Basin — Giant 
Geyser — Other  Important  Geysers — Mud  Volcano — Yellowstone  River — Falls  of  the 
Yellowstone — Yellowstone  Lake — The  Grand  Caflon — Massive  Pillars — Gorgeous 
Colors — Falls  of  Tower  Creek — Other  Attractions — Governmental  Supervision — A 
Trip  to  the  Park, 303 

THE  YOSEMITE  VALLEY— Location— Discovery  by  White  Men— Reserved 
by  the  Government — Roads — Area — Height  of  the  Walls — El  Capitan — Other  Attrac- 
tions— The  Yosemite  Falls — Falls  of  the  Merced  River — Wonders  of  the  Tenaya 
Canon — Points  of  View — The  Mariposa  Grove — Discovery  of  the  "Big  Trees" — 
Where  They  Grow, 318 

THE  COLUMBIA  RIVER  REGION— Course  of  the  River— Magnificent 
Scenery — Rapids — The  Great  Dalles — Mount  Hood — The  Cascades — Multnomah 
Falls — Pillnrs  of  Hercules — Cape  Horn — The  Grande  Ronde  Valley  —The  Willamette 
Falls — Canal  and  Locks — Portland — Astoria — Fisheries — A  Trip  to  Puget  Sound — 
Mount  Tacoma, 322 


ALASKA — Largely  an  Unknown  Land — Location — Area — Shore  Line — Trip  by 
Steamer — Mountains — Glaciers — Mineral  Springs — Rivers — The  Yukon  River — For- 
ests— Climate — Hunting  and  Fishing — The  Mines — Sitka — Population — Indians — 
Totem  Poles — The  Cathedral— Government  Buildings — A  Sad  Story — The  Return 
Trip — An  Interesting  Region 335 


■  l    .  .1 


II  ^k 

I  i 


hii:i 


CONTENTS. 


Our  Nation:  The  Story  of  Its  Progress  and  Growth. 

INTRODUCTION. 

Our  Position — The  Past  and  the  Present — An  Unending  Conflict — Self-Govern- 
ment  by  the  People  an  F^xperinient — Opposing  Forces — A  Wonderful  History — The 
Formative  Period — George  Washington — Remarkable  Development — Second  War  with 
England — Indians  Subdued — Jealous  of  Foreign  Powers — Slavery  Overthrown — A  Free 
Land — The  Mission  of  the  Country — The  only  Source  of  Danger,       .     .     .     347-356 

EARLY   SETTLEMENTS. 

Progress  and  Growth  of  the  Nation — Settlement  at  Jamestown — Experiences 
of  the  Colonists — Establishment  of  Representative  Government — New  England — 
Arrival  of  the  Pilgrims — The  Civil  Compact  in  the  Mayflower — Great  Difficulties — 
Manner  of  Life — Massasoit — Education  — Increase  of  Population — Union  of  the 
Colonies — John  Eliot — King  Philips  War— Triumph  of  the  Whites — New  York — 
Discovery  of  the  Hudson  River — Settlement  on  Manhattan  Island — War  with  Indians 
— Surrender  to  the  English — William  Penn — F^stablishment  of  the  Colony  on  the 
Delaware — Prosperity  of  the  New  Settlement — Other  Colonies,       ....     357-367 

THE   COLONIAL    PERIOD. 

General  Condition — Belief  in  Witchcraft — Religious  Intolerance — Excuse — Growth 
of  the  Colonies — Forms  of  Government — French  and  Indian  Aggression — George  Wash- 
ington— War  with  the  French  and  Indians — Defeat  of  General  Braddock— The  Siege 
of  Quebec — Rapid  Immigration — The  Gathering  Cloud — Changed  Relations — English 
Tyranny — Commercial  Restrictions— The  Stamp  Act — Declaration  of  Rights  —The  Tax 
on  Tea — British  Troo])s — 0|)i)osition  to  F^nglish  Interference — A  Cargo  of  Tea  De- 
stroyed— Retaliation — Preparations  for  War— First  Colonial  Congress,    .     .     367-379 

THE    REVOLUTIONARY    WAR. 

Opening  of  the  War  for  Independence — The  Attack  at  Lexington— The  Battle  of 
Concord — George  Washington — John  Hancock — Benjamin  Franklin — Israel  Putnam — 
Patrick  Henry — Samuel  Adams — Gathering  of  Troops — .Aggressive  Movements  — Ticon- 
deroga — Crown  Point — Second  Continental  Congress — Arrival  of  British  Troops — Bat- 
tle of  Bunker  Hill — Washington  .\p])ointed  Commander-in-Chief — British  I^vacuation 
of  Boston — Protection  of  New  York— The  British  .Attack  Charleston,      .     .     379-396 


The    Forma 
Hessian  Troops 
Americans   Ret 
Battles  of  Trei 
Lafayette — Var 
Northern  Depai 
Renewed  Overt 
Colonies — Valle 
tie  at  Quaker  H 
Along   the  Sea- 
the  Six  Nations- 
Patriots — Franc 
of  the  Campaigr 
his  Treasonable 
Robert  Morris — 
— Various  Engaj 
render  of  the  Br 


The   Close 
Colonies — Comr 
tent — Retiremer 
tion — Dissolutio 
of  a  President. 


Administrai 
Public    Debt  — 
Whiskey   Rebel 
Administration 
Death  of  Washii 
Re|)resentatives- 
Additions  to  tht 
Rocky  Mountaii 
Steam  Navigati( 

TION  OK  J  AMKS   \ 

land— Indian  Oi 


CONTENTS.  xi 

INDEPENDENCE    DECLARED. 

The  Formal  Declaration  of  Independence — iLs  Reception  by  the  People — 
Hessian  Troops — General  Howe's  Commission — Overtures  of  the  British  Rejected  — 
Americans  Retreat  from  Brooklyn — Battle  of  White  Plains— .\  Dark  Period— The 
Battles  of  Trenton  and  Princeton — French  Aid  to  the  Patriots — The  Martpiis  de 
Lafayette — Various  Encounters — Philadelphia  Captured  by  the  British — In  the 
Northern  Department — Indians  Assist  the  British— Surrender -of  General  Burgoyne — 
Renewed  Overtures  of  Peace  from  England — Alliance  of  France  and  Spain  with  the 
Colonies — Valley  Forge — Appearance  of  a  French  Fleet — Battle  of  Monmouth — Bat- 
tle at  Quaker  Hill — The  Wyoming  Massacre — Cherry  Valley — New  Plan  of  Action — 
Along  the  Sea-coast — Various  Battles — In  the  Western  Wilderness — Punishment  of 
the  Six  Nations — The  Campaign  at  the  South— On  the  High  Seas — Disasters  to  the 
Patriots — F'rancis  Marion — South  Carolina  Organized  as  a  Royal  Province — Progress 
of  the  Campaign  in  the  South  and  the  North— The  Treachery  of  Arnold — Failure  of 
his  Treasonable  Bargain — Sufferings  of  the  Soldiers — Relief  Granted  by  Congress — 
Robert  Morris — Depredations  by  Arnold — Battles  of  Cowpens  and  Guilford  Courthouse 
—  Various  F^ngagements — Massacre  at  Fort  Griswold — The  Battle  of  Yorktown — Sur- 
render of  the  British, 396-417 

AFTER   THE   CONFLICT. 

The  Close  of  the  War — Treaties  of  Peace — Impoverished  Condition  of  the 
Colonies — Commissioners — Proposition  to  Establish  a  Monarchy — Domestic  Discon- 
tent— Retirement  of  Washington — Alexander  Hamilton — Formation  of  the  Constitu- 
tion—  Dissolution  of  the  Continental  Congress — The  Territorial  Government — Election 
of  a  President 417-423 

* 

A  REPUBLICAN   GOVERNMENT  ESTABLISHED. 

Administration  of  George  Washington — Organization  of  the  Government — 
Public  Debt  —  Returning  Prosperity  —  Indian  Hostilities  —  Political  Parties  —  The 
Whiskey  Rebellion — Treaties  with  I>ngland  and  Spain — Establishment  of  a  Navy — 
Administration  ok  John  Adams — Threatened  War  with  France  .Averted — Tlie 
Death  of  Washington — The  Second  Census — F^lection  of  President  by  ihe  House  of 
Re|)resentatives — Administr.vmon  ok  Thomas  Jekkerson — Conciliatory  Measures — 
Atlditions  to  the  Union — Expeditions  against  .Algerine  Pirates — F-xploration  of  the 
Rocky  Mountain  Region—  Aaron  Burr — Difficulties  with  Foreign  Nations — Successful 
Steam  Navigation — Impressment  of  Seamen — Embargo  upon  Shiiijiing — Ad.ministra- 
tion  of  James  Madison — The  Rights  of  Citizenship — Continued  Aggressions  by  Eng- 
land— Indian  Outbreak — Strength  of  English  and  American  Navies,    .     .     .     423-432 


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CONTENTS 


THE   SECOND    WAR    EOR    INDEPENDENCE. 

Opening  of  the  War — I/sasters  on  Land — Successes  on  the  Sea — Re-Election 
OF  Pkesident  Madison — American  Victories  in  Canada  and  on  Lake  Erie — Varying 
Fortunes  of  War — British  Depredations — The  City  of  Washington  Plundered  — Nego- 
tiations (or  Peace — The  Battle  of  New  Orleans — Peace  Restored,    .     .  .     432-436 

DOMESTIC   AFFAIRS. 

Algerine  Pirates — Admission  of  Indiana — The  United  States  Bank  Chart-  red — 
Administration  ok  James  Monroe — Emigration  to  the  West — New  States  and 
Territories  —  The  Missouri  Compromise  —  Re-election  of  Pre.sident  Monroe  — 
Visit  of  Lafayette — Sketch  of  his  Life — Election  of  John  Quincv  Adams  as  Presi- 
dent— His  Administration — The  Erie  Canal — Death  of  John  Adams  and  Thomas 
Jeflferson — The  Fiftieth  Anniversary  of  Independence — Administration  of  Andrew 
Jackson — Removal  of  the  Cherokee  Indians — Veto  of  the  Charter  of  the  National 
Bank — The  Black  Hawk  War — Secession  Threatened  by  South  Carolina — Business 
Panic — War  with  Indians  in  Florida— Order  to  collect  Revenues  in  Coin — Admission 
of  New  States — Administration  of  Martin  Van  Buren — Commercial  Disaster- 
Violation  of  Neutrality  La\vs — Administration  of  Presidents  Harrison  and  Tvi.ek 
— Call  for  an  Extra  Session  of  Congress — Death  of  President  Harrison— Succession  of 
Vice-President  Tyler — Legislation  Relating  to  Commercial  Affairs — Modification  of 
the  Tariff — Adoption  of  a  State  Constitution  by  Rhode  Island — Texas  Api)lies  for 
Admission  to  the  L^nion — Florida  and  Iowa  become  States — A dminisi  ration  of 
James  K.  Polk — Annexation  of  Texas — Settlement  of  the  Northwestern  Boundaries 
Dispute, 436-446 

.  THE    MEXICAK    war. 

Causes  of  the  War — The  Conquest  of  California — The  Navajo  Indians  Subdued  — 
Close  of  the  Mexican  Wav—Discovery  of  Cold  in  California — Election  of  (ieneral 
Taylor  to  the  Presideniv — Important  Measures  during  the  Administration  of  Presi- 
dent Polk — W  isconsin  Admitted  to  the  Union, 446-450 

THE    PERIOD   OF   A(;iTATION. 

Rapid  National  Progress— The  Slavery  Question— Growth  of  the  Slave  Power — 
General  Sentiment  of  the  Country  at  the  Time  of  the  Revolution — Com,iromise  Mea- 
sures— The  Cotton  Gin — Increasing  Demand  for  Slaves-  Great  Change  in  Public 
Sentiment — The  Missouri  Compromise — Northern  0|)position  to  Slavery — The 
"  Emancipator  "—Conflict  Regarding  the  Admission  of  Texas  as  a  State — California  a 
Free    State — Administraiion  of  Zacharv  Taylor — The  "Omnibus    Bill" — Death 


Administr. 
Establishment 
Fair  in  New 
Islands — Rene 
Effort  to  Obta 
Britain — Invasi 
Formation  of  t 
Canvass — Elect 


Administra 

The   Dred   Scot 

mercial  Conveni 

"  Mormon  \\'ar  j 

tion  at   ChariesI 

Abraham    Linccl 

Cripple  the   (Jo J 

other  States— C)l 

tion — Loyalty  oJ 


AdministraJ 
of  the  Army  ani 
A  Great  Uprisinl 
Battle  of  Bull  r[ 
tal  Changed  froiJ 
Review  of  the  id 
— Extreme  Caiitl 
Sections— Battle! 


CONTENTS. 


XIII 


of  Cicneral  Taylor  and  Succession  of  Millard  Fillmore  to  the  Presidency — Important 
Events  of  President  Taylor's  Administration — Administration  ok  Milla.;d  Fillmore 
— The  Fugitive  Slave  Law  Supported — Reduction  of  Postage  —Introduction  of  the 
Telegraph — Invasion  of  Cuba — Organization  of  Minnesota  ar-  a  Territory — Enlarge- 
ment of  the  National  Capitol  Building — Arctic  Expedition — Visit  of  Kossuth — The 
Newfoundland  Fisheries — Treaty  with  Japan — Trouble  with  Spain — Organization  of 
Washington  Territory, 451-464 

THE   COMING   STORM. 

Administration  ok  F'ranklin  Pierce  —  Difficulties  —  Dispute  with  Mexico  — 
Establishment  of  Steamship  Lines  to  Asia — Explorations  of  the  Northwest — World's 
Fair  in  New  York — Relations  with  Mexico — Central  America  and  the  Sandwich 
Islands — Renewed  Discussion  <  f  the  Slavery  Question — More  Trouble  with  Spain — 
Effort  to  Obtain  Cuba — "  The  Golden  Circle " — Treaties  with  Mexico  and  Great 
Britain — Invasion  of  Nicaragua — Indian  Troubles — Difficulties  with  Great  Britain — 
Formation  of  the  Republican  Party — The  Know-Nothing  Party — Exciting  Pohtical 
Canvass — Election  of  the  Democratic  Candidates, 464-469 

THE    CONTEST    BEGUN. 

.\dministration  ok  James  Buchanan — Conflict  in  Kansas— Reign  of  Terror — 
The  Dred  Scott  Decision — Continued  Troubles  in  Kansas — The  "Southern  Com- 
mercial Convention  " — Increase  of  the  Slave  Trade — Efforts  to  Restrict  Slavery — The 
"Mormon  War"  —  Raid  of  John  Brown — Scheme  for  Disunion — Democratic  Conven- 
tion at  Charleston — Various  Political  Nominations — Exciting  Contest — Election  of 
Abraham  Lincoln  to  the  Presidency — Continued  Plottings  of  Treason — Efforts  to 
Cripjjle  the  Government — .Secession  of  South  Carolina — The  Example  Followed  by 
other  States — Organization  ok  the  Conkederate  Government — A  Peace  Conven- 
tion— Loyalty  of  General  Scott, 469-477 


THE    CIVIL    WAR. 

.\dministration  ok  Abraham  Lincoln — Surrounded  by  Difficulties— Condition 
of  the  Army  and  Navy -.Attack  upon  Fort  Sumter — The  Civil  War  Inaugurated  — 
A  Great  l'i)rising — Bloodshed  in  Baltimore — Condition  of  the  Opposing  Forces — The 
Battle  of  Bull  Run— The  North  Aroused — General  McClellan — The  Confederate  Capi- 
tal Changed  from  Montgomery  to  Richmond — General  Lee — "  Stonewall "  Jackson — 
Review  of  the  F^'ents  of  1861 — The  Campaign  of  1862 — The  Merrimac  and  Monitor 
— pAtreme  Caution  of  General  McClellan — In  the  Valley  of  the  Mississippi — In  other 
Sections — Battle  of  .\ntietam — General  McClellan  Superseded — Battles,     .     478-494 


XIV 


CONTENTS. 


i 


THE  EMANCIPATION   PROCLAMATION. 

Emancipation  a  Necessity — Confederate  Privateers — The  Course  of  Great  Britairt 
— Military  Operations  of  1863 — In  tiie  Mississipp  Vall^"" — The  Cajjture  of  Vicks- 
biirg — In  the  East — The  Battle  of  (lenysburg— The  Draft  Riots — Military  Movements 
in  Virginia  — In  Tennessee — In  other  Sections — Financial  Condition  of  the  Union  and 
of  the  Confederacy-Military  Operations  of  1864 — Commission  of  General  Grant  as 
Commander-in-Chief  of  the  Union  Forces — Reverses  at  the  South — Heavy  Plighting  in 
Virginia— In  the  Shenandoah  Valley— Sherman's  March  to  the  Sea — In  other  States — 
Privateers  -The  Port  of  Mobile  closed — Re-nomination  of  President  Lincoln — Nomi- 
nation of  General  McClellan  for  President.— Re-election  ok  Presipknt  Lincoln — 
Closing  Events  of  the  War — The  Capture  of  Richmond — Surrender  of  Crent"-al  Lee — 
Assassination  of  President  Lincoln — Succession  of  Andrew  Johnson  to  the  Pres- 
idency— Surrender  of  General  Johnston — General  Grant's  Farewell  Address — Review  of 
the  Union  Army — The  Army  Disbanded,     .     .     .     .■ 494-517 

REORGANIZ.VnON    AND    PROGRES.S. 

Amendments  to  the  Constitution — Removal  of  Commercial  Restrictions — State 
Conventions — Conflict  between  the  President  and  Congress — The  French  in  Mex- 
ico—Effort to  Impeach  President  Joh'i"-o'i— Admission  of  Nebraska  to  the  Union 
— Result  of  the  Trial  of  the  President — Aca'ption  of  the  Fourteenth  .\mendment  to  the 
Constitution — Treaty  ./ith  China— Election  of  General  Grant  as  President  Adminis- 
tration of  President  Grant — Completion  of  the  Work  of  Re-construction  Passage 
of  a  General  Amnesty  Bill  by  Congress  ~Com])letion  of  a  Railroad  .icross  the  Continent 
— Insurrection  in  Cuba— Fenian  Invasion  of  Canada  —  Effort  to  .\nnex  Hayti  to  the 
l''niteri  States — Survev  for  an  Inter-oceanic  Canal  at  Isthmus  of  Darien — Destructive 
Fires  in  Chicago  and  Boston — The  .Alabama  Claims  Establishment  of  the  .National 
Signal  Service — Abolition  of  the  Franking  Privilege  I'residential  Nominations — Re- 
election OF  General  Grant — Mormon  Troubles— Difficulties  with  the  Indians — 
Admission  of  Colorado  as  a  State— Political  Events, 5'7-525 

THE    CENTENNIAL    EXHIBITION. 

A  Great  Success  —  The  Presidential  Election  —  .Appointment  of  the  Electoral 
Commission  —  R.  B.  Hayes  Declared  the  President  Elect.  —  .Administration  of 
Pre.j1DENt  Haves — Political  Measures — Exodus  of  Negroes  from  Southern  States 
^Resum])tion  of  Specie  Payments — War  with  the  Ute  Indians — The  Inter-oceanic 
Canal  Scheme  Revived  Presidential  Nominations — Election  of  James  .A.  Garfield — 
Administr.vtion  of  President  Garfield— Deadlock  in  the  Senate — Resignation  of 
the    Senators  from   New  York — Relations  with  Foreign  Countries — Assassination  of 


|j  '.III 


CO  NT  K  NTS. 


XV 


i'RKsiPENr  GARFtEM> — Succession  of  Clicster  A.  Arthur  to  the  Presidency — Adminis- 
ikahon  ok  I'rksiuknt  Arthur— Special  Session  of  the  Senate — Appointment  of 
Cal)inet  Officers — Centennial  Celebration  of  the  Surrender  of  Cornwallis— Trial  and 
Kxecution  of  Guiteau,  the  Assassin  of  President  Garfield, 525-534 

THE    FORTY-SEVENTH   CONGRESS. 

The  "  Star  Route  "  Trials — Recommendations  of  the  President — The  Chinese  Kx- 
cliision  Bill  — Commercial  Treaty  with  Mexico — Democratic  Majority  in  the  House  of 
Kci)resentatives — Celebration  of  tiie  Two  Hundredth  Anniversary  of  the  Landing  of 
W  illiam  Penn— Civil  Service  Reform  Bill — Reduction  of  Letter  Postage — Termination 
of  Fisheries  Treaty  with  Great  Britain  —  Labor  Commission — New  York  and  Brooklyn 
Bridge — Opening  of  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad — Centennial  Celebrations — The 
I'orty-eighth  Congress — Reconimendations  of  the  President — The  Treasury  Surjilus — 
Tlie  Mormon  Problem — The  Liquor  Trattlc — An  Educational  Measure  Proposed^ 
Repeal  of  the  Test  Oath, 534-537 

IMPORTANT   EVENTS. 

National  Conventions — Presidential  Camjiaign  and  Election — Relief  of  Lieutenant 
(irecly's  Exploring  Party  in  Arctic  Regions — Wreck  of  the  Steamshij)  Jeanette — The 
Martholdi  Statue — The  Tehuantepec  Canal  Project — Faiftire  of  a  Treaty  with  Spain — 
Tlie  President's  Message — World's  Fair  at  New  Orleans — Com])letion  of  the  Washing- 
ton Monument — Reduction  of  the  National  Debt — General  Grant  placed  on  the  Re- 
tired list  of  the  Army — Succession  of  Grover  Cleveland  to  the  Presidency — 
invents  of  his  Administration — Rebellion  at  Panama — Trouble  with  Indian  Tribes — 
Death  of  General  Grant — Great  Strike  of  the  Knights  of  Labor  on  the  Southwestern 
Railroads — Death  of  Archbishop  McCloskey,  General  McClellan,  and  Vice  President 
Hendricks — The  Forty-ninth  Congress — Conspiracy  in  San  Francisco — The  Cherokee 
Indians — The  Anti- Polygamy  Bill — Land  Claims  of  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad 
Company — Presidential  Succession  Act — Opposition  to  the  Chinese  in  California — 
Riot  at  East  St.  Louis — Anarchist  Riot  in  Chicago — Marriage  of  President  Cleveland 
— Veto  of  l\»nsion  Bills — Fisheries  Disi)ute  with  Canada — Destructive  Earthquake  at 
Charleston, 538-544 

THE    PROGRESS   OF   AFFAIRS. 

The  Republican  Anti-Saloon  League  Formed — Unveiling  of  the  Bartholdi  Statue 
in  New  York  Harbor — Death  of  ex-President  Arthur— The  Maritime  Canal  Company 
— Department  of  Agriculture  and  Labor — The  Inter  State  Commerce  Act — Centen- 
nial  Celebration  of  Adoption  of  the   National    Constitution   at    Philadelphia — The 


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xvl  CONTENTS. 

Fiftieth  Congress — The  President's  Message — Nomination  of  L.  Q.  C.  Lamar  as  Justice 
of  the  Supreme  Court— Strike  of  Miners  in  Schuylkill  Coal  Regions — The  "  Mills  Bill" 
—  Death  of  the  Emperor  of  Germany — The  Oreat  "  Blizzard  " — Death  of  Chief-Justice 
VVaite  and  Appointment  of  M.  W.  Fuller  as  his  Successor — Relations  with  China — 
Death  of  General  Sheridan — The  Political  Conventions — Re-union  of  Northern  and 
Southern  Soldiers  at  Gettysburg — Yellow-Fever  at  Jacksonville — Dismission  of  the 
British  Minister — Presidential  Election — The  President's  Message— New  States 
Created, 545-549 

OUR    NATIONAL    PROGRESS. 

At  the  Close  of  the  War — Condition  of  the  South — Industrie;  Paralyzed — Cotton 
Grown  by  Vrec  Labor — Industries  of  the  North — Depreciation  of  Values — Return 
of  Confidence— Effect  of  the  Centennial  Exposition— Reduction  of  the  Public  Deot- - 
The  Feeling  of  the  South — Cotton  Exposition  at  Atlanta — Immigration — Wonderful 
Inventions — The  Demands  of  the  Hour, 55o~553 

GREAT   STATE    PAPERS. 

Declaration  ok  Indkpkndenck, 555 

Constitution  ok  thk  United  States, 155^ 

Emancipation  Proclamation, 571 


I 


}  ::*! 


CONTENTS. 


XVII 


Beyond  the  States. 

THE  DOMINION  OF  CANADA  ~    Location  —  Area— Population— Provinces 

Government  and  Constitution — Religion — Public  Works— Finances — Exports  and 

Imports — Discovery — First  Permanent  Settlement — Progress — Ceded  toOreat  Britain 
— Political  Difficulties — The  Northwest  Territories  Purchased — Confederation,        573 

City  ok  Ottawa — Location — Incorjuiration — Scenery — Water  Power — Imports 
and  Exports — (Jovernment  Buildings — Railroad  and  Steamboat  Connections — Popu- 
lation        577 

PROVINCE  OF  ONTARIO—  Location  —  Area  —  Poinilation  —  Cultivation- 
Natural  Features — Resources — Industries — Productions— (iovernment — Education  — 
Churches — Charitable  Institutions — Railroads, 579 

City  ok  Toronto — Location — Industries — Area — Harbor — Appearance — Princi- 
pal Buildings — Institutions — Exports — History — Population 582 

ity  ok  Hamii/i'on — Location — Important  Commercial  Centre — Rapid  Growth — 
Mai   ifactures — Institutions — Population 584 

City  ok  Kingston — Location — History — Harbor — Public  Buildings — Surround- 
ings Ship-building — Manufactures — Important  Military  Position — Institutions — Popu- 
lation,        585 

City  ok  London — Location — English  Names — Commercial  Centre — Manufactures 
— Education — Population 586 

PROVINCE  OF  QUEBEC  —Location— Area  -Population— Cultivation— Nat- 
ural Features— Lakes  —Mineral  Wealth — Climate— Soil — Lumber — Wild  Animals — 
I'roductions  —  Government  —  Principal  Cities — P-ducation — Religion — Institutions — 
Railroads, 587 

City  ok  Qukhk.c — Importance — Location — Railroad  Connections — Discovery  and 
Settlement  -  Early  History—  Peculiarities  and  Attractions — Commerce — Manufactures 
— Steamboats — Scenery — Institutions — Population 589 

City  ok  Montrkai. —  Rank — Location— Harbor — ^Steamboat  and  Railroad  Com- 
munication— Public  Buildings— Institutions^Water  Sui)ply-  Rapid  Progress — Imports 


If  ..J I 


xviii  CONTENTS. 

anti    Kxports-   Maniifacturos     The   French  Quarter  and   r,nj;lisli  Quarter— Railroad 
I  )e|)ots— Festivities     Population •    592 

PROVINCK  OF  NOVA  SCOTIA  Location-History— Area— Natural  Fea- 
tures Mineral  Deposits— Climate— Population  Industries— Statistics — Governnient 
— Education — Religion ; 597 

Crrv  (»K  Halifax — Location — Harbor — Kxtent — Armament — I'ublia  Buildings — 
Industries     Railroad  Communication— Parks  and  (lardens, 599 

PROVINCr-:  OF  NFW  nRUNSWrCK— Karly  History— Location-Area-Pop- 
ulation—^  Natural  Divisions-  Oeneral  Ap|)earanee-  Islands — Rivers -- Natural  Re- 
sources—Climate Forests  —Agricultural  Productions — Animals — (lovernment—  F.du- 
cation—  Railroads  and  Telegraphs 600 

Cnv  OK  Frkdkrk  ION — Location — Ai)])earance  Public  Muildings — Kducational 
Institutions — Trade — P()])ulation, (102 

Cnv  OF  Sr.  John— Imjjortance"  Location  Harbor — Briilges — Streets — Principal 
Buildings — Institutions-  Ciovernment  Railroad  Connections — Industries — Manufac- 
tures—  Kxi)orts — Imports— Poi)ulation 603 

PROVINCK  OF  MANITOBA- Location— Purchase  by  Dominion  Government 
—  Political  Troubles— Area-  Population — Soil — Extent  of  Agricultural  Operations — 
Animals — Climate  —  (lovernment  —  Churches  —  Educational  Institutions  —  Canadian 
Pacific  Railroad, 604 

Cnv  OF  WiNNiPFX, — Location— Marvellous  Growth — Climate — Vegetation — Ma- 
terial Prosperity — Religion  and  Education — Poj)ulation, 606 

PRINCE  EDWARD  ISLAND-Location  -  Area- Population— Flarly  History- 
Natural  Resources — Climate — Productions — Government — Land  Tenure — Education 
— Religion — Railroads 607 

Cnv  OF  Charlottf.town- Location — Harbor — Appearance — Public  Buildings — 
Educational  Institutions — Churches — Trade — Population, 60.S 

PROVINCE  OF  BRITISH  COLUMBIA— Incorporation— Boundaries— Area— 
Population — Natural  Features — Agricultural  Capacities — Mineral  Wealth — Game — 
Fisheries — Climate — Vancouvers  Island— Statistics, 609 

City  of  Victoria — Location — Extent — Streets — Harbor — Fortifications — Build- 
ings— Institutions — Climate — Exports — Population, 611 


CONTENTS. 


xix 


THK  NORTHWKSr  TKRRI  TORIKS  Area  -  Population— Soil— Timber- 
Fur  Trade —I'lircliascd  by  honiinioi)  (fovcrnincnt -Otlicials — I'oiitiiul  Divisions— 
Ciuirclies  and  Schools,       613 

ISI.ANI)  OK  NKWKOl  N I jLAND— Political  Status— I,o(ation  —  Area  Pop- 
ulation— Coast  Line — Interior-  Hays  and  Inlets — Rivers— Lakes — Soil — Fisheries — 
Minerals  Climate  The  (rrand  Hanks-  (lovernment— Public  I>cbt  Revenue — 
Imports  iind  Kxports — Religion     Kducation-    Population 613 

Cirv  OK  Sr.  John's — lioration — Harbor — Importance  —  Disastrous  Fires— Natural 
Features — Husiness — Institutions — Public    Huildings — Population 615 


MKXICO  —  An  interesting  Country —  Boundaries — Area— Population — Political 
Divisions — Chief  Cities — Statistics — (lovernment — Kducation — Religion — Natural  Re- 
sources— Minerals — Agricultural  Productions — History  of  the  Country,    .     .     .       617 

Cnv  OK  Mkxuo — Location  —  Elevation — Streets —  Principal  Buildings — Public 
Scjuares  Houses  —  Business  Interests — Kducation — Railroads — Anticpiity — Early  His- 
tory--Population 622 

Cnv  OK  Vkra  Cruz — Location — Population — Shore — Harbor — Streets — Buildings 
— Water  Supply-  Railroad  Connectitms — Fever — Winds  —  Imjjorts  and  Exports — 
Island  of  San  Juan  de  L'lloa, 629 


OTHER  PLACES  OF  INTEREST— Montfrf.v— Location— Importance— Cli- 
mate— Public  Buildings — Manufactures — Trade — An  Ancient  City — Captured  by  Gen- 
eral Taylor — The  Valley  of  Mexico — Lakes — A  Famous  Railroad— State  of  Duran- 
c.o — Boundaries  Area — Poj)ulation — Divisions — Climate — Soil — The  Capital  City — 
SiAiK  OK  Chihuahua — Boundaries — Area—  Population — Political  Divisions — Natural 
Features  —  The  Cajjital  City  —  Silver  Mines  —  Mint  —  Manufactures — Agriculture — 
Points  of  Interest — Water  Supply — Trade — Pojjulation, 631 

CUBA  — Importance — Location — Area — Ports — Soil — Agricultural  Productions — 
Minerals — Forests — Indigenous  Products  of  Value — Animal  Life — Surface — Rel'gion 
— (iovernment — Pojmlation  Large  Cities— Manufactures—  Exports  and  Imports — 
History 639 

Cnv  OF  Havana — Importance — Location — Population — Defences — Attractions 
— Principal  Buildings  —  Contrasts — Architecture — Houses — Railroads — Telegraphs — 
Steamers, 642 


XX 


CONTENTS. 


THE  BAHAMA  ISLANDS— Location —  Area— Natural  Features  —  Principal 
Islands — Salt  Production — Climate — Rainfall — Products — Kxports — Imports — Finan- 
ces—  Government —  Religion  —  Education  —  Submarine  Gardens  —Harbor  Island — 
Spanish  Wells — Eleuthera  Island — Guanahani  Island — History,       644 

City  of  Nassau— Location — Extent — Appearance-  Institutions — Principal  Events 
— Foreign  Trade — Winter  Resort — Climate— Tropical  Vegetation — Attractions, .     647 


COUNTRIES  OF  SOUTH  AMERICA— Brazil— Area— Location— Popula- 
tion— The  Amazon  —  Surface  —  Forests  —  Soil  —  Climate  —  Religion  —  Education  — 
Railroads  and  Telegraphs —  Imports  —  Exports  —  Revenue— Manufactures-^Govern- 
ment — Principal  Cities— History, 649 

City  of  Rio  dK  Janeiro — Importance — Location — Harbor — Streets — Residences 
— Churches — Principal  Buildings — Education — Water  Suj)ply — Shipping — Imports — 
Exports — Population — History — Pernambuco — Population — General  Appearance— 
Para — Population — Location — Public  Buildings — Commerce, 65:: 

THE  REPUBLIC  OF  CHILI— Location— Area— Population— Natural  Features 
— Agriculture — Minerals — Climate^Political  Divisions— Harbors — Government — Re- 
ligion— Education — Railroads — Telegraph — Finances — History, 654 

City  of  Santiac.o — Location — Appearance — Principal  Buildings — Attractions — 
Public  Works — Disastrous  Fire — Population, 657 

City  of  Valparaiso — Location — Appearance— Harbor  -  Public  Buildings — Pop- 
ulation— Disasters — Improvements, 65X 

THE  REPUBLIC  OF  PERU  —  Boundaries  — Extent— Population- Surface- 
Climate—  Minerals — Soil — Forests  —  Animals — Guano  —  Nitrate  of  Soda  —  Finances 
— Government — Religion — Education — History, 659 

City  of  Lima—  Former  Glory — Location-  Population — Appearance — Attractions 
— Education — Earthquakes 661 

City  of  Cai.t.ao  -  Location  -  Harbor — Defences — Exports — P(j|nilation-  Disas- 
ters—  Blockade, 662 


Cnv  OF  Su( 


■*■:  ! 


THE  UNITED  STATES  OF  COLOMBIA— Area  Population  —  Boundaries 
—  Political  Divisions — Elevation — Climate — Natural  Resources — Minerals — Agricul- 
tural Productions — Army — Finances — Commerce — Ship  Canals — History,    .  dv;^ 

City  of  Bogota — Location — Climate — Streets— Residences — Principal  Buildings 


CONTENTS.  xxi 

— Cataract  of  Tequendama — Religion — Education — Earthquakes—  Exports — Popula- 
tion,         665 

THE  REPUBLIC  OF  VENEZUELA— Situation— Boundaries— Area— Popula- 
tion— Political  Divisions — Natural  Features — Soil — Climate — Minerals — Live  Stock — 
Agricultur.il  Productions  —  Exports — Imports — Government — Religion — Education — 
Chief  Cities — History, 666 

City  of  Caracas — Location — Arrangement  of  Streets — Parishes — Principal  Build- 
ings —  Earthquakes  —  Population  —  La  Guayra —  Location  —  Defences  — Climate — 
Trade — Population, 668 

THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC— Location— Boundaries— Area— Population- 
Soil — Climate — Natural  Resources — Animals — Industries — Exports — Imports — Tele- 
graphs— Railroads — Provinces — Government — Religion — Pxlucation — History,        669 

City  ok  Buenos  Ayres — Importance— Location — Streets — Buildings — Parks — In- 
stitutions— Population, 672 

THE  REPUBLIC  OF  BOLIVIA— Boundaries— Area  and  Population  — Moun- 
tains—  Rivers — Climate  —  Natural  Resources — Animals — Agricultural  Productions — 
Trade — Exports — Imports — Railroads — Finances — Religion — Education — Chief  Cities 
— Government — Revolutions — History 672 

City  or  Sucrk — Location — Elevation — Principal  Buildings — Population,    .       675 

THE  REPUBLIC  OF  PX'UADOR— Location— Area— Population— Divisions 
— Cocoa — Mountains — Minerals  —  Forests  —  Railroad  Communication  —  Religion  — 
Education — Government — Exports — Finances — Disadvantages — History,     .     .        675 

Thk  City  ok  Quito  —  Location  —  Climate — Buildings — Ruins  —  Population — 
Guayaquil — Location — Population — Manufactures, 677 

THK  REPUBLIC  OF  PARAGUAY— Losses  by  War— Present  Boundaries- 
Area — Population — F.ivers — Lakes — Soil — Animals — Forests — Government — Religion 
— Education — Kxi)orts — Imports — Army — Public  Debt — History, 67.S 

City  ok  Assumption — Locatioi. — Houses — Importance — Population,    .     ,       680 

THE  REPUBLIC  OF  URUGUAY  — Boundaries  — Area— Population— Coast 
J  ,ine — Natural  Features — Climate  —Soil — Agriculture — Live  Stock — Political  I  )ivi- 
sions — Government  —  Finances  -  Railroads  —  Telegraphs  —  Religion  —  Education — 
History 680 


Ji'. 


ill 


xxii  CONTENTS. 

City  of  Montevideo— Location — Harbor — Streets  and  Houses — Principal  Build- 
ings— Commerce — Pojjulation, 682 

GUIANA  —  Political  I )ivisions  —  Location  —  Area — History — Rivers — Soil — Cli- 
mate— Productions — Forests, 683 

BRITISH  GUIANA—  Location  —  Area — Population — Departments— Exports — 
Imports — Churches — Bxlucation, 684 

DUTCH  GUIANA — Location — Area — Pojjulation — Government — Imports — Ex- 
ports,           6S4 

FRENCH  GUIANA  —  Location — Area —  Population — Climate — Earthquakes  — 
Gold — Exports— Government — Religion — Settlement  —  Invasion — Convict  Establish- 
ment,             6S5 

COUNTRIES  OF  CENTRAL  AMERICA— Boundaries— C  nquered  by  Spain 
— Organization  of  States  —  Political  Changes  —  Natural  Features — Soil — Minerals — 
Productions — Religion — Finances — Area, 687 

THE  REPUBLIC  OF  GUATEMALA— Location— Political  Changes— Area- 
Population — Government  —  Education  —  Institutions  —  Railroads  and  Telegraphs  — 
Mines — P'inances, 688 

City  ok  Nf.w  Guatemala — Early  History — Present  Location — General  Appear- 
ance— Principal  Buildings — Population 6S9 

THE  REPUBLIC  OF  SAN  SALVADOR— Rank— Boundaries— Area— Pop- 
ulation— Mountains — Soil  —  Forests — Government — Industries — Religion — Education 
— Finances, 6go 

City  ok  Nikva  San  Salvador — Location — Destructive  Earthquake — Buildings — 
Population, 6yi 

THE  REPUBLIC  OF  HONDURAS— Rank -Boundaries- Coast  Line— Area 
—Population — Mountains  and  Table-lands^Rivers — Yojoa  Lake — Political  Divisions 
— Seajjorts — Ciovernment — Ex])orts — Imports — Finances — Railroads  and  Telegrajjhs 
—Trade — Political  History 691 

City    of   Tkoucioalpa — Importance — Location — Miu'jral  Wealth  of  the  De])art- 
ment — The  Capital  City — Business — Population, 692 


CONTENTS. 


XXIU 


THE  REPUBLIC  OF  NICARAGUA— Rank— Boundaries -Area— Public  In- 
terest— Proposed  Canal — Principal  Rivers — Lake  Nicaragua — Rainfall  and  Climate 
—  Forests — Minerals — Soil— Live  Stock — Manufactures — Political  Divisions — Princi- 
pal Cities  and  Towns — Government — Finances — History, 693 

THE  REPUBLIC  OF  COSTA  RICA— Location— Boundaries— Area— Popu- 
lation— Surface — Climate — Soil — Forests — Products— Live  Stock — Mineral  Wealth — 
Political  Divisions — Government — Finances — Religion — Inhabitants — History — Rail- 
roads and  Telegraphs, 696 

City  ok  San  Jos^ — Elevation — Situation — Public  Buildings — Population — Ala- 
juela — Former  Importance — Cartago — Location — Destructive  Earthquake,    .  .       698 


flit 


LIS' 


Portrait  of  Christ 
Portraits  of  Deleg; 
Boat-House  Landii 
The  Round  Tower, 
Cliff  Walk,     . 
Scenes  at  Newport, 
Old  Fort, 
Plymouth  Bay, 
The  Home  of  Dan 
Where  Miles  Stand 
The  Mayflower  Ne 
Pilgrim  Hall,  Plym 
A  Piece  of  the  Pilg 
Scenes  along  Cape 
Provincetown,  on  ( 
Black  Fish,  . 
Views  on  Cape  Co 
Buzzard's  Bay  and 
Views  on  Sea  and 
Martha's  Vineyard 
(lay  Head  Light,  . 
Views  at  Nantuckt 
Nantucket,    . 
Bar  Harbor  and  M 
Moat  Mountain,    . 
Through  the  Fran< 
The  Old  Man  of  tl 
The  Franconia  Mc 
The  Palisades, 
Fac-Simile  of  Pass 
Northern  Entrance 
Newburgh,  N.  Y., 
View  of  the  Turk's 
A  View  in  the  Cat 
Kaaterskill  Falls,  . 


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LIST  OF   ILLaSTRATIONS. 


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Portrait  of  Christopher  Columbus  (steel) 

Portraits  of  Delegates  to  International  Am.  Conference  of  1889-90.  f^ 

Boat-House  Landing,  Newport,  R.  I., 

The  Round  Tower, 

Cliff  Walk,     . 

Scenes  at  Newport, 

Old  Fort, 

Plymouth  Bay, 

Tiie  Home  of  Daniel  Webster, 

Where  Miles  Standish  Lived, 

The  Mayflower  Nearing  Land, 

Pilgrim  Hall,  Plymouth,  Mass., 

A  Piece  of  the  Pilgrim  Rock, 

Scenes  along  Cape  Cod, 

Provincetown,  on  Cape  Cod, 

Black  Fish,  .... 

Views  on  Cape  Cod, 

Buzzard's  Bay  and  Vicinity,  . 

Views  on  Sea  and  Shore, 

Martha's  Vineyard,  Mass.,     . 

Gay  Head  Light,  . 

Views  at  Nantucket, 

Nantucket,    .... 

Bar  Harbor  and  Mount  Desert, 

Moat  Mountain,    . 

Through  the  Franconia  Notch, 

The  Old  Man  of  the  Mountain, 

The  Franconia  Mountains,    . 

The  Palisades, 

Fac-Simile  of  Pass  from  Arnold  to  Andre, 

Northern  Entrance  to  the  Hudson  Highlands 

Newburgh,  N.  Y.,  Scenes,     . 

View  of  the  Turk's  Face  on  the  Hudson, 

A  View  in  the  Catskills, 

Kaaterskill  Falls,  .         .         .         .         . 


V  Frontispieces 


54 
SS 
56 
57 

58 
60 

61 
62 
62 
63 
65 
67 
69 

71 
72 

75 
77 

79 
81 
82 

83 

95 

98 

101 

102 

103 
109 

112 

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117 
121 
124 


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XXVI 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


View  on  Lake  Minnewaska, 

The  Awosting  Falls, 

Camping  on  the  Lake,  . 

View  on  Lake  Oeorge, . 

Tail  Piece,    .... 

A  Sharp  Turn, 

A  Lateral  Ravine, 

Long  Gallery, 

Point  Lookout,     . 

Cascade  and  Buttress,  . 

Rainbow  Falls — Spartan  Pass, 

Pulpit  Rock — Giant  Gorge,  . 

The  Gorge,  Watkin^  Glen,     . 

Glen  Mountain  House,  . 

The  Horseshoe  Fall, 

Niagara  Falls, 

Bridge  Leading  to  Bath  and  Goat  Islan 

View  of  Niagara  Falls,  . 

The  Terrapin  Tower,     . 

The  Old  Table  Rock,    . 

Niagara  River  Below  the  Falls, 

Niagara  from  near  Queenstown  Height 

Suspension  Bridge, 

Niagara  River — The  Whirlpool, 

On  the  Islands, 

Round  Island  Park, 

Between  the  Islands, 

"  Bonnie  Castle,"  . 

Alexandria  Bay,     . 

Down  the  Rapids. . 

Cresson,  on  the  Alleghenies,  . 

Lewistown  Narrows, 

Horseshoe  Curve,  . 

Scene  on  the  Beach,  Atlantic  City 

On  the  Beach,  Cape  May, 

Old  Point  Comfort, 

In  the  Heart  of  the  Orange  Region, 

The  Lovers'  Walk, 


fAOC 
125 
129 

133 

»35 
137 
'38 
138 

139 

140 

141 
142 

143 

'45 
147 
149 

151 

152 
«53 
'54 
'54 

>55 
•56 
'57 

'59 
161 

163 
164 

'65 
167 

169 

171 

'73 

175 

1 84 

187 
189 

'95 
196 


St.  David's  Pa 
On  the  Ocklai 
A  Live-Oak  C 
An  Everglade, 
Scene  on  the  i 
On  the  Meram 
The  Meram ec, 
Cathedral  Spir 
Balance  Rock, 
Valley  Home, 
The  Black  Riv 
In  the  Ozark  A 
Ribbon  Falls, 
Hot  Springs  V; 
View  of  the  He 
Hot  Springs, . 
Rancher's  Cabi 
On  Line  of  I.  a 
Hunter's  Parac 
Sheep  Pastun 
Cotton  Field, 
Colorado  River, 
San  Marcos,  . 
Colorado  River, 
San  Pedro  Rive 
Natural  Bridge, 
Cotton  Platform 
Scene  on  the  Br 
Trestles,  near  C, 
Big  Si)rings,    . 
Sheep  Ranch, 
Sierra  Blanca  M 
Road  at  El  Paso 
I'ueblo  De  Taos, 
Pertle  Springs, 
Stage  Route, . 
Wheat  Field, . 
A  Scene  in  SoutF 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


XXVIl. 


St.  David's  Path,   . 

On  the  Ocklawaha, 

A  Live-Oak  Observatory, 

An  Everglade, 

Scene  on  the  Mississippi  River, 

On  the  Meramec,  . 

The  Meramec, 

Cathedral  Spires,  . 

Balance  Rock, 

Valley  Home, 

The  Black  River,  . 

In  the  Ozark  Mountains, 

Ribbon  Falls, 

Hot  Springs  Valley, 

View  of  the  Hot  Springs, 

Hot  Springs, .... 

Rancher's  Cabin,  . 

On  Line  of  I.  and  G.  T.  Railway, 

Hunter's  Paradise, 

Sheep  Pasture 

Cotton  Field, 

Colorado  River,  near  Austin, 

San  Marcos,  .... 

Colorado  River, 

San  Pedro  River,    . 

Natural  Bridge, 

Cotton  Platform,    . 

Scene  on  the  Brazos, 

Trestles,  near  Canyon,  Texas, 

Big  Springs,    .... 

Sheep  Ranch, 

Sierra  Blanca  Mountains, 

Road  at  K\  Paso  and  View  of  Fort 

Pueblo  De  Taos,  New  Mexico, 

Pertle  Springs, 

Stage  Route, .... 

Wheat  Field, .... 

A  Scene  in  Southwestern  Missouri, 


Bliss 


197 
198 
199 

200 
201 
202 
203 
204 
204 
205 
205 
206 
207 
208 
209 
210 
21 1 
21 1 
212 
212 
213 

216 
216 
217 
218 
219 
220 
221 
222 

223 
224 
225 

227 
229 
230 

232 


'U. 


xxvm. 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


li 


fACB 

Scene  near  Atoka,  Indian  Territory, 233 

The  Horseshoe,  or  Twin  Cafion, •  234 

Bridal  Veil  Falls, 235 

Bailey's  Falls 237 

Spirit  Lake,  Iowa, *. 239 

View  on  Little  Spirit  Lake, 240 

Lake  Minnetonka, 241 

Hunting  Scene,         .........'••  242 

Detroit  Lake  and  Hotel  Minnesota, 243 

Scenery  on  Devil's  Lake,  Dakota .245 

A  Western  Contrast, •         •        •  247 

A  Scene  on  the  Leadville  Route, •  249 

Mount  of  the  Holy  Cross, 251 

Georgetown,  Colorado, 252 

Devil's  Gate, 253 

Gray's  Peak, 254 

Cheyenne  Falls, •         •  ^55 

In  North  Cheyenne  Cafion, 256 

A  Glimpse  of  Manitou  and  Pike's  Peak, 257 

The  Mineral  Springs, 258 

Pike's  Peak  Trail, .  259 

Rainbow  Falls,          .         .         . •  260 

Garfield  Memorial, •         •         •  261 

Grand  Caiion  of  the  Arkansas, 262 

The  Royal  Gorge, 263 

Gunnison's  Butte,     . •         •         •  264 

Sphinx  Rock, 265 

Mother  Grundy, 266 

Finger  Rock, 267 

Giant's  Tea  Kettle, 268 

Chicago  Lake, 269 

Feeding  Ground  of  the  Antelope, 271 

Snow  Range,    .         .         . 272 

Giant's  Club, 274 

Tower  Rock,    .         .         .         .         .         .         .        .         .         .        .         .         .275 

Castle  Rock, •.         .        .  276 

The  Devil's  Slide, .         .        .  277 

Approaching  the  Sierras,           . 278 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Nevada  Falls,  . 

Marshall  Pass, 

A])l)roach  of  the  Black  Caflon, 

Maxwell's  Point, 

Following  a  Carton, 

I  )evirs  Gate,    . 

Ciirrecanti  Needle, 

Marble  Pinnacle, 

I'lilpit  Rock,    . 

Toltec  Gorge, 

Black  Carton  of  the  Gunnison, 

The  Palisades, 

Palace  Butte, 

Veta  Pass,       .... 

Green  River  City  and  Buttes,  . 

Great  Shoshone  Falls, 

Fntering  Boulder  Carton, 

Grand  Carton, 

Dead  Man's  Falls,    . 

Salt  Lake  City, 

Where  Brigham  Young  Lived, 

Near  High  Bridge,  . 

(Jreat  Salt  Lake, 

Hot  Springs,  Yellowstone  Park, 

The  "  Giant  "  Geyser, 

Mammoth  Hot  Springs,   . 

Pulpit  Terrace, 

Crater  of  Extinct  Geyser, 

Upper  Yellowstone  Falls, 

Views  of  "  Old  Faithful "  Geyser, 

Yellowstone  River, 

Ferry  on  the  Yellowstone  River, 

Falls  of  the  Yellowstone, 

Clift"  in  Grand  Carton  of  the  Yellowstone 

Falls  of  the  Gibbon  River, 

}}ridal  Veil  Falls,  Yosemite  Valley, 

Hallet's  Hades,  Columbia  River, 

Mount  Hood, 


XXIX. 

PACK 

280 
281 
282 

384 

286 
287 
288 
289 
290 
291 
292 

294 

296 

297 

298 

299 

300 

301 

304 

305 
306 

307 
308 

309 
310 
312 

3U 
314 
316 
317 
319 
323 
325 


m 


li. 

\t:'  ■ 


m 


liiiii 


i' 


W*$-   ■ii 


u 


XXX, 


LIST  OK   ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Cribraltar,  Columbia  River, 

Steamer  Rounding  Cai)e  Horn, 

Cape  Horn, 

Multnomah  Falls,     . 

Floating  Fish  Wheel, 

Pillars  of  Hercules, 

Sitka,  Alaska, 

Alaska's  Thousand  Islands, 

Devil's  Thumb,  Alaska,    . 

An  Alaska  House  with  Totem  Poles, 

Historical  Spots  in  the  City  of  Quebec, 

Chaudiere  Falls, 

Parliament  Buildings,  Ottawa, 

Great  South  Falls,  Muskoka  River, 

South  Falls, 

High  Falls,       . 

Bridal  Veil  Falls,     . 

Toronto  University, 

Kingston,  from  Fort  William  Henry 

London,  Ontario,     . 

Wolfe's  Monument,  Quebec, 

View  from  the  Citadel,     . 

Wolfe's  Cove, 

Montreal,  from  the  Mountain, 

Victoria  Square,  Montreal, 

Victoria  Bridge, 

St.  John,  New  Brunswick, 

Mexican  Adobe  House,   . 

Mexican  Ox  Cart,    . 

City  of  Mexico, 

Church  of  San  Domingo, 

Castle  of  Chapultepec, 

Merchants'  Bazaar,  . 

Entrance  to  Palace, 

Palace,  City  of  Mexico,    . 

Scene  in  the  Bay  of  Vera  Cruz, 

The  Old  Wall  and  City  of  Vera  Cruz, 

Portal  of  the  Cathedral,  Monterey,  . 


326 

33' 
332 
333 
33t> 

337 
339 
341 

572 
578 
578 

579 
580 

58' 
582 
583 
585 
S87 
590 
59' 
59' 
593 
594 
596 
603 
618 
621 
623 
624 
625 
626 
627 
628 
629 
630 
632 


A  (llimpse  of  Moi 
Scene  in  the  Valle 
View  of  the  City  c 
Ihe  Cathedral  in  ( 
i  lie  I'laza  in  Chih 
A  Public"  Fountain 
A  Cicgk  Beauty, 


LIST   OF   ILLUSTRATIONS. 


A  Olimpse  of  Monterey,  . 
Scene  in  the  Valley  of  Mexico, 
\iew  of  the  City  of  Durango,' 
Hie  Cathedral  in  Chihuahua, 
The  IMaza  in  Chihuahua, 
A  Tubhc.  Fountain  in  Chihuahua, 
A  Ctcyk  lieauty,     . 


XXXI. 

I'Al.H 

636 

637 
63H 
638 
686 


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m..m 


wm 


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CELE 


THE  WONDERLANDS 


AND 


CELEBRATED     RESORTS 


OK 


OUR  GREAT  REPUBLIC. 


ill',  i  nil 


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Views  i 


xNATURAL 


NEW    ] 

Y  the  • 
narroi 
soutlu 
Maine.  The  dis 
latitude — say  35c 
coast  and  .he  dec 
consider  ourselvi 
tnaking  New  Yorl 
one  can  well  set 
for  the  matter  of 
shall  pass  by  and 
population,  their 
shall  speak  only 
])ortions  of  this  v 
We  are  now  s 
be  our  immediat 
might  have  gone 
Newport,  in  Rho( 
by  what  is  desi^ 
only  runs  the  ste; 


Views  in  the  Great  Wonderlands  of 

our  Republic; 


EMBRACING 


NATURAL  SCENERY  AND  CELEBRATED   RESORTS. 


NEW    ENGLAND  COAST  SCENES. 

Y  the  term  "  New  Englanci  Coast "  we  mean  to  designate  that 
narrow  strip  of  territory  l>'ing  along  our  Athuitic  shore  between  the 
southern  bounchiry  of  Rhode  Ishuid  and  the  northern  boundary  of 
Maine.  The  distance,  measured  in  a  straight  hne.  is  about  five  degrees  of 
latitude — say  350  miles — -but  fully  twice  as  much  measured  along  the  winding 
coast  and  .he  deep  inlets  by  which  it  is  everywhere  indented.  We  propose  to 
consider  ourselves  setting  out  for  a  tour  along  this  New  England  Coast, 
making  New  York  our  starting-point ;  for  such  are  the  facilities  for  travel  that 
one  can  well  set  out  from  that  metropolis  for  any  part  of  this  continent;  or, 
for  the  matter  of  that,  for  any  i)art  of  the  globe.  On  this  journe}-  of  ours  we 
shall  pass  by  and  through  not  a  few  places  of  much  note  by  reason  of  their 
population,  their  industries,  or  their  historic  associations.  Of  these  places  we 
shall  speak  only  incidentally;  they  will  be  treated  at  due  length  in  other 
])ortions  of  this  volume. 

We  are  now  setting  out  from  New  York,  primarily  for  Boston,  which  will 
be  our  immediate  point  of  departure  along  the  New  England  Coast.  We 
might  have  gone  the  whole  way  by  rail  had  we  not  had  it  in  view  first  to  see 
Newport,  in  Rhode  Island,  which  can  be  best  reached  by  steamer.  So  we  go 
by  what  is  designated  as  "  The  Fall  River  Line,"  an  association  which  not 
only  runs  the  steamers  traversing  Long  Island  Sound,  but  also  manages  that 


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54        THE   GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OF   OUR    REPUBLIC: 

railroad  system  known  as  "  The  Old  Colony  Railroad,"  whose  various 
branches  so  thoroutjhly  "  gridiron  "  southeastern  Massachusetts  that  it  would 
not  be  easy  for  one  to  put  his  foot  upon  a  spot  more  than  ten  miles  from  a 
railroad  station.  Our  steamer  runs  up  the  Sound,  having  the  rightly-named 
"  Long  Lsland  "  on  the  right,  and  the  opposite  shores  of  a  hit  of  New  York,  oi 
Connecticut,  and  of  Rhode  Island  on  the  left.  Unless,  as  sometimes  happens 
at  all  seasons,  there  should  be  a  dense  fog,  the  world  cannot  show  a  safer  or 


BOAT-HOUSE    LA.NDING,    MCWl'OKT,  K.    I. 

more  charming  bit  of  inland  navigation  than  the  hundred  miles  and  more 
through  Long  Island  Sound. 

As  we  left  New  York  late  in  the  afternoon,  it  will  be  in  the  small  hours  of 
the  next  morning  when  we  round  Point  Judith,  a  bold  headland  in  Rhode 
Island,  jutting  out  just  where  the  Sound  begins  to  widen  into  Buzzard's  I^ay, 
then  into  Nantucket  Sound,  and  then  into  the  broad  Atlantic.  If  there  be 
any  gale  blowing  hereabouts  we  shall  be  sure  to  find  it  at  Point  Judith.  But, 
gale  or  no  gale,  we  shoot  across  the  narrow  mouth  of  Narraganset  Bay,  which 
sets  far  inland  up  to  Providence,  the  second  city  in  New  England  in  point 
of  population.  But  up  to  Providence  we  do  not  purpose  to  go;  so  crossing 
the  mouth  of  Narraganset  Bay,  we  land  at  Newport.  This  city,  the  capital 
of  Newport  County  and  one  of  the  capitals  of  the  State,  is  the  most  noted  of 
all  American  seaside  resorts.     It  practically  covers  a  little  islaii  ',  which  the 


NATURAL   SCENERY   AND   CELEBRATED    RESORTS. 


55 


aborigines  called  Aquidncck,  which  we  are  told  means  "  Peace  Island."  The 
early  English  settlers  found  or  fancied  in  this  islet  some  resemblance  to  the 
island  of  Rhodes  ("  Rose  Lsland  "),  in  the  Mediterranean,  and  called  it  "  Rhode 
Island;"  and  this  name  came  to  be  applied  to  the  entire  State — one  of  the 
original  thirteen — of  which  the  island  forms  only  a  small  part. 

If,  a  little  more  than  a  century  ago  one  had  been  asked  to  point  out  the 
probable  site  of  the  future  commercial  metropolis  of  the  Hritish  colony  in 
America,  he  would  doubtless  have  placed  it  upon  Rhode  Island  ratlier  than 
upon  Manhattan  Island.  During  the  war  for  Independence  Newport  Harbor 
was  the  principal  station  of  the  British  fleet,  and  when  the  British  were  forced 
to  abandon  the  region,  they  burned 


six  men-of-war  and  many  smaller 
arm.ed  cruisers,  and  scuttled  and  sunk 
more  than  fifty  transports  and  other 
vessels  in  T'lewport  Harbor.  They 
.ilso,  ov:t  of  sheer  wantonness,  tried 
to  destroy  the  curious  old  Round 
ToAver,  the  almost  perfect  remains  of 
which  are  a  puzzle  to  archaeologists. 

Nobody  knows,  or  can  more  than 
guess,  by  whom,  or  when,  or  for  what 
purpose,  this  Tower  was  built.  Some 
will  have  it  to  be  the  work  of  the 
Norsemen,  who  are  supposed  to  have 
coasted  down  from  Greenland  and  set- 
tled here  and  hereabouts  some  five  centuries  before  Columbus  made  his  first 
voyage  across  the  Atlantic  to  find  the  New  World.  Others,  quite  as  con- 
fidently, and  perhaps  with  quite  as  good  reason,  maintain  that  this  Round 
Tower  was  built  by  some  whimsical  Englishman  not  more  than  a  century 
and  a  half,  or  at  most  two  centuries,  ago,  to  be  used  as  a  windmill,  or  more 
probably  as  a  granary.  But  whoever  was  the  builder,  or  for  whatever  pur- 
pose it  was  built,  the  work  was  well  done.  The  Tower  has  existed,  sub- 
stantially as  we  now  see  it,  for  considerably  more  than  a  century,  a, id 
doubtless  much  longer.  It  may  be  safely  assumed  that  it  is  one  of  the  most 
ancient  structures  by  human  hands  now  standing  in  New  England ;  and  there 
seems  no  good  reason  to  doubt  that  it  will  stand  for  centuries  to  come. 
Whatever  view  as  to  its  origin  one  may  adopt,  he  may  congratulate  himself 


IHK    KOINI)    roWEK,    NKWl'ORT,    R.    I. 


<»','■■ 


»■    ti 


h^-n\ 


56 


THE   GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OF   OUR   REPUBLIC. 


that,  if  he  cannot  prove  his  o\\  n  theory  to  be  right,  nobody  else  can  prove  it 
to  be  wrong.  The  Tower,  as  it  stands,  consists  of  an  unroofed  chamber  rest- 
ing upon  eight  arches,  of  about  12  feet  from  the  ground  to  the  crown  of  the 
arches.  The  diameter  of  the  Tower  is  about  23  feet,  and  its  present  height 
about  24  feet.  It  is  built  of  blocks  of  the  ordinary  stone  of  the  region,  laid 
in  a  mortar  composed  of  sand  and  shell-lime,  this  mortar  being  now  quite  as 
hard  as  the  stone  itself.  During  the  latter  part  of  the  war  for  Independence 
the  chamber  of  the  Round  Tower  was  used  by  the  British  as  a  powder-maga- 
zine— for  which  it  was  admirably  adapted.  When  tliey  attempted  to  blow  it 
up  b\'  exploding  a  quantity  of  gunpowder  in  the  chamber,  they  only  suc- 
ceeded in  blowing  off  the  roof  (prob.'biy 
of  wood  and  conical),  and  in  throwing 
down  some  four  feet  of  the  uppei"  part 
of  the  stone  wall. 

But,  however  interesting  the  old 
Tower  may  be  to  antiquarians,  and  the 
historic  associations  to  the  student,  the 
tourist  will  look  upon  the  city  princi- 
pally in  its  character  as  a  summer  resort. 
But  little  observation  will  convince  him 
that  the  attractions  arc  manifold  and 
diverse.  The  natural  beauty  is  of  the 
fairest  type.  The  landscape  is  charm- 
ing. Fine  trees  and  ornamental  shrubs 
abound.  The  turf  is  green  and  soft 
like  a  rich  carpet  spread  over  the 
ground.  On  a  sunny  day  the  delightful  shade  and  the  invigorating  air  make 
one  wonder  whether  the  original  Eden  was  more  beautiful  and  enjoyable  than 
this  celebrated  locality.  Then,  too,  the  varying  appearance  of  the  shore  as 
,  viewed  from  different  points  adds  greatly  to  the  scenic  attractions.  Beaches 
alternate  with  ledges.  The  former,  of  which  there  are  four,  are  long  and  fine. 
Three  of  them  lie  east  of  the  town  and  form  a  driveway  of  great  beauty. 
The  other,  called  the  South  Beach,  is  less  visited  because  less  easy  of  access, 
but,  though  smaller,  it  can  hardly  be  considered  less  beautiful.  Here  may 
be  seen  the  "  Spouting  Rock,"  from  the  cavities  in  which,  when  the  wind  and 
tide  are  in  the  right  direct  jns,  the  spray  is  thrown  in  a  most  beautiful  man- 
ner.    This  beach  is  not  as  much  frequented  for  bathing  as  the  one  nearest 


ClAbf   WALK,   ^EW1'URT,    R.    1. 


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THE   GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OF    OUR    REPUBLIC: 


the  cit}',  which  is  a  favorite  because  it  is  readily  accessible,  has  a  clear, 
smooth,  sandy  bottom,  is  safe,  and  its  waters  arc  warmed  by  the  Ciiilf  Stream, 
whicli,  at  this  point,  is  only  a  short  distance  from  the  shore. 

The  cliffs  and  ledges  at  various  places  along  the  shore  impart  an  air  of 
wildncss  and  exquisit«  beauty  to  the  scene.  As  the  waves  break  a<;ainst 
these  precipitous  walls  they  shov\'  the  power  and  grandeur  of  the  ocean  as 
clearly  as  the  beach  reveals  its  placid  beauty.  Fort  Adams,  at  the  mouth  of 
the  harbor,  is  an  attractive  feature,  while  on  the  other  shore  of  the  baj-  may 
1)0  seen  the  ruins  of  some  of  the  fortifications  of  Revolution;iiA-  times. 

The  harbor  itself 
also  presents  a  beau 
tiful  and  interesting 
^M^S-vJ  .view.  Here  may  be 
seen  small  sail-boats 
and  immense  ships, 
diminutive  tug-boats 
and  m  a  g  n  i  fi  c  e  n  t 
steamers,  while  tl;e 
finest  yachts  in  Amer 
ican  waters  may  here 
be  found.  The  num- 
berless small  boats 
furnish  abundant 
means    for    all    who 

(II. 1)    lilKl,     .M.\K    .M.UIMKI,     U.     1.  •    I        4.  4.     1  -1 

'  Wish    to    take   a    sail 

near  the  shore.  The  sportsman  will  find  excellent  fishing  either  a  little 
out  from  the  shore  or  in  the  streams  and  lakes  of  fresh  water  which  are 
close  at  hand. 

The  beautiful  drives  in  the  vicinity  add  not  a  little  to  the  attractions  of 
the  place.  A  good  road  is  now  open  all  along  the  coast  and  passes  over  hills 
of  considerable  elevation  and  across  valleys  of  the  greatest  beauty.  From 
some  of  these  hill-tops  splendid  views  of  both  ocean  and  shore  are  obtained. 
Numerous  islands  stand  like  emeralds  in  the  surrounding  blue,  while  looking 
inland  the  landscape  is  beautiful  beyond  description. 

While  in  a  certain  sense  Newport  is  an  "aristocratic"  locality,  it  is  also  a 
favorite  place  of  resort  for  thousands  who  have  neither  wealth  nor  eminence 
in  the  social  world.     There  is  room,  and  the  accommodations  are  ample,  for 


NATURAL   SCENERY   AND   CELEBRATED    RESORTS. 


59 


all.  Sea  ami  shore  present  the  same  beauties  to  the  poor  as  they  do  to  the 
rich.  The  climate  is  as  mild  and  genial  to  the  one  class  as  to  the  other. 
Ivven  the  attractions  which  wealth  has  added  to  the  natural  features  of  the 
landscape  are  in  a  degree  enjoyed  by  all.  The  beautiful  residences,  and  par- 
ticularly the  magnificent  grounds  of  the  rich  are  admired  by  the  poor  as  well 
as  by  the  owners  themselves.  In  few  places  have  nature  and  art  united  so 
full}'  and  extensively  to  adorn  a  locality,  and  in  but  few  spots  upon  the  coast 
can  there  be  found  such  perfect  beauty  of  both  sea  and  shore  combined. 

The  population  of  Newport  in  i88g  was  over  2o,cxx)  besides  the  summer 
population,  which  ranges  from  8  X)0  to  12,000.  The  city  has  excellent  schools, 
libraries,  and  banking  facilities,  and  numerous  churches.  Newport  claims 
the  distinction  of  having  the  oldest  newspaper  in  the  L^nited  States  and  of 
being  the  place  of  the  j-early  meeting  of  the  Society  of  Friends  for  almost 
two  centuries  and  a  half.  During  the  past  few  years  the  permanent  popula- 
tion has  rapidly  increased  and  the  number  of  summer  visitors  grows  larger 
}ear  b)-  year. 

l^idding  good-by  to  Newport  on  the  Narraganset,  a  nicer  place,  we  ven- 
ture to  say,  than  Nice  on  the  Mediterranean,  we  commit  ourselves  trustingly 
to  the  care  of  the  Old  Colony  Railroad,  wiiose  numerous  tracks  "gridiron" 
this  region.  The  central  bar  of  this  gridiron  is  about  the  best  by  which  one 
can  reach  Boston.  From  Boston  we  purpose  to  go  over  more  than  one  of. 
the  bars  of  the  big  gridiron,  and  notably  its  long  crooked  handle  which  men 
call  Cape  Cod ;  and  thence,  as  at  the  time  may  see'm  best,  to  such  out-of-the- 
way  places  as  Martha's  Vineyard  and  Nantucket.  Then,  getting  back  to 
Boston  by  the  way  which  seems  to  be  most  convenient — and  the  conjoined 
Fall  River  Steamers  and  Old  Colony  Railroad  will  give  us  abundant  means 
for  choice — we  shall  set  out  upon  the  northern  part  of  our  trip,  up  to  the  ex- 
treme boundary  of  Maine. 

Set*  ".ig  off  from  Boston,  our  first  objective  point  is  Plymouth,  about  forty 
miles  southeastward,  as  the  crow  flies,  but  perhaps  twice  as  far  by  the  railway 
route,  which  we  choose;  for  it  is  well  worth  our  while  to  take  one  of  the 
short  bars  of  the  gridiron,  and  have  a  look  at  Nantasket  Beach,  which,  as  we 
arc  told  at  Boston,  is  the  finest  thing  of  the  kind  in  the  world. 

Perhaps  our  Boston  friends  are  a  little  too  enthusiastic;  but  Nantasket 
Beach  is  well  worVh  the  few  hours  which  will  be  required  to  "do"  it.  The 
Beach  is  simply  a  peninsula  of  wave-hardened  sand,  stretching  some  half- 
dozen  miles  nortnward   from  the  coast-line,  the  trend  of  which  is  here  due 


mm 


mm- ""'' 


«!''il 


^J...  ,il.P 


6o        THE   GREAT  WONDERLANDS  OF   OUR    REl'UHLIC: 

eastward,  tliough  it  soon  turns  sharply  to  the  south,  down  to  Plymouth  Bay, 
whence  it  seems  not  to  have  made  up  its  mind  which  way  t  j  go.  At  Icnf^th 
it  seems  to  have  come  to  the  conclusion  that  an  eastw;'-(.i  course  was  worth 
looking  at.  If  it  had  kept  on  this  course  for  two  or  three  thousand  miles,  it 
would  have  linked  itself  to  the  Old  World,  somewhere  in  France  or  Spain, 
which  lie  in  about  the  same  latitude.  But  after  going  eastward  for  a  few 
leagues,  the  unstable  coast  went  pretty  nearly  southward  for  a  while;  then 
again  turned  eastward  once  more;   then  bent  again  to  the  north,  with  even  a 


PLYMOUTH     BAY. 


slight  westward  look.  This  sickle-shaped  inner  shore  line,  with  its  outer 
shore  line  nearly  parallel,  forms  the  peninsula  of  Cape  Cod,  at  whose  extrcmest 
northeastern  point  is  the  village  of  Provincetown,  from  which  one  can  look 
westward  across  Cape  Cod  Bay  to  Plymouth.  The  ilistance  in  a  straight  line 
from  Provincetown  to  Plymouth  is  not  far  from  twenty-five  miles;  measured 
around  the  coast-line  of  the  Cape,  with  which  the  railroad  runs  nearly  parallel, 
the  distance  is  about  three  times  greater. 

Leaving  Nantaskct  Beach,  the  "landscape"  around  which  is  rather  nice,, 
and  the  "  waterscape  "  a  good  deal  more  than  nice — the  Old  Colony  Railroad 
takes  us  toward  Plymouth.     As  we  approach   the  venerable   and  venerated 


■(  ..: 


!^. 


NATURAL  SCENKRY   AND   CELEHRATKD   RESORTS.       6r 

town  of  the  rilgrim  Fathers  we  shall  pass  Marshficld,  for  many  years  the 
homestead  of  Daniel  Webster.  We  shall  not  see  it  from  the  train ;  but  its 
location  will  be  indicated  to  us,  and  our  Guide  Hook  will  have  a  picture  of  it, 
so  that  we  can  congratulate  ourselves  upon  having  seen  it,  after  a  fashion. 
A  few  miles  further  on,  and  in  the  township  of  Duxbury,  overlooking  Ply- 
mouth Bay,  is  a  quaint,  substantial  structure  known  as  "The  Miles  Standish 
House,"  said  to  have  been  built  in  1666.  It  cannot,  therefore,  have  been 
built  by  the  valorous  little  "  Captain  of  Plymouth,"  who  had  died  ten  years 
before  at  the  goodly  age  of  seventy-two.  Quite  probably  this  house  may 
occupy  the  site  of  the  one  where  the  only  Miles  Standish  of  whom  we  know 
anything  had  his  abode  at  and  after  that  "courtship"  of  his  of  which 
Longfellow  tells  us.  At  all  events,  the  grim  little  Captain  did  nut  die  of  a 
broken  heart  in 
consequence  of  his  v 
courtship  by  proxy 
of  young  John 
Alden,  who,  upon 
the  hint  of  the  sweet 
Priscilla, "  spoke  for 
himself "  with  more 
success  —  though  J^^~ — 
certainly  not  more 
earnestly,  than    he 

had  been  speaking  in  behalf  of  his  middle-aged  friend.  Miles  Standish  lived 
nearly  two-score  years  after  this  "disappointment;"  and  Longfellow  tells  us 
— and  who  will  question  him — he  looked  on,  with  more  of  pleasure  thaii  pain, 
when  John  Alden  walked  away  from  the  scene  of  his  wedding,  leiding  the 
"  snow-white  bull,"  upon  w^hich  was  seated  "  Priscilla  the  Puritan  maiden,"  the 
just-wedded  wife  of  John  Alden.  It  is  no  unreasonable  stretch  of  imagina- 
tion for  us  to  believe  that  in  the  coming  years  the  little  Aldens — and  there 
were  not  a  few  of  them — children  borr.  to  John  and  Priscilla,  were  wont  to 
visit  the  valorous  Captain  Miles  Standish,  whose  fighting  days  were  now  over, 
in  his  "  simple  and  primitive  dwelling,'  which  certainly  was  not  far  from  Ply- 
mouth, and  which  we  hope  no  accurate  antiquarian  will  be  able  to  show  did 
not  stand  upon  the  very  spot  where  now  stvinds  the  "  Miles  Standish  House." 
Plymouth  Bay,  which  we  are  now  in  sight  of,  in  a  bright  summer  after- 
noon, is  a  pleasant  piece  of  water.     Quite  otherwise  must  it  have  looked  to 


I'lIK   IKIME  OK   DANIKI,   WKIISTER. 


;■'';  '■■■ 

i  iiil'  •. 


ll'S;iis'^,.;i?l 


,1,1  ■ 


ft  ii  !-. 


i 


f)2        TMK   GRKAT   WONDHRLANDS   OF   OUR    RKl'UBLIC; 


NATURA 


I'    - 


m 


WIIKKK   MILKS   SIANDISII    I.IVKI). 


the  vojaj^cis  in  the  "  Majfli)\ver,"  who  on  a  ilay  late  in  December,  1620,  were 
tlie  first  nuMi  of  the  white  race  who  ever  saw  its  waters  and  forest-clad  shores. 
Shutting  our  eyes,  and  calling;  to  mind  the  narratives  which  have  come  down 

to    us,  we   can  pic- 


ture to  ourselves 
iiow  the  scene  must 
have  looked  to  the 
Pilgrim  Fathers  and 
Pilgrim  Mothers. 
Opening  our  eyes, 
and  looking  around, 
no  two  pictures 
could  well  be  more 
unlike.  Vet  both 
are  absolutely  true. 

The  brightness  of  glad  waters,  with  their  "  innumerable  laugh,"  and  the  white 
sails  darting  in  every  direction  will  be  all  the  brighter  in  contrast  with  the 
hoarse  murmur  of  the  breakers  heard  by  the  Pilgrims  of  the  "  Mayflower  " 
as  their  solitary  weather-beaten  vessel  steered  into  th^se  unknown  waters. 
Vet  no  vessel  freighted  with  loftier  fortunes  e\er  sighted  an  unknown  coast 
than  did  this  little  "  Mayflower."  In  her  was  potentially  the  being  of  our 
New  World.  Had  she  borne  other  men  and  women  than  she  did,  our  social 
and  political  insti- 
tutions would  have 
been  quite  other  ^4^ 
than  they  are:  not  'eljfy* 
improbably  like 
those  of  Mexico  or 
Peru. 

We  do  not  pur- 
pose here  to  narrate 
the  story  of  Ply- 
mouth Colony. 
Taking  the  term  in 

its  widest  sense,  it  was  never  more  than  a  small  settlement,  not  covering 
much  more  than  the  present  "township"  of  Plymouth,  a  tract  18  miles  long, 
with  an  average  breadth  of  some  six  miles — the-  area  thus  being  about   100 


Tllli    MAYI'I.OWKK    NKAKINi;    I.AM). 


NATURAL   SCENERY   AND   CELKHRATED   RESORTS. 


63 


v(|ii;ire  miles,  I'lyrrKnith  is  tlic  oldest  settlement  b)-  Europeans  of  which  we 
kiiDW  an)-tliiii[,'  certainly  on  the  New  Enj^dand  Coast.  If  Norsemen  settled 
there,  as  perhaps  thej'  did — centuries  before,  they  vanished,  leavinjf  behiml 
them  nothing  which  clearly  shows  that  they  had  ever  been  there  or  there- 
abouts. 

LeavinjT  out  of  view  Saint  Augustine,  in  Florida,  where  the  Spaniards  had 
,1  post  as  early  as  1  565,  riymouth  is  the  third  early  spot  occupied  by  Euro- 
|icans  within  what 
w  c  now  designate 
as  North  America. 
T  h  i  s  occupation 
was  made  in  1620. 
In  1608  the  English 
UKule  a  settlement 
at  a  placj  in  Vir- 
ginia, which  they 
c.iled  Jamestown; 
tills  was  kept  up  for 
many  years,  but  was 
at  length  aban- 
doned, '^tul  there  is 
now  hardly  an  in- 
dication that  there 
had  ever  been  a  set- 
tlement there.  In 
1614 — six  years  be- 
fore the  "  !\Iayfiow- 
cr "     appeared      in 

Plymouth  Bay — the  Dutch  made  a  settlement  at  the  mouth  of  a  stream 
which  they  called  Hudson  River.  They  called  this  settlement  "  New  Am- 
sterdam," designating  the  region  thereabout  as  "  New  Netherlands."  All 
this  is  what  we  now  know  as  "  New  York."  Plymouth,  though  an  old  place, 
as  we  reckon  age  in  this  New  World  of  ours,  is  "very  small  for  its  age." 
Assuming  the  territorial  area  of  the  ancient  colony  to  have  been  that  of  the 
present  township,  its  population  in  1885 — a  little  more  than  two  centuries 
after  its  settlement — was  about  7,000,  and  there  is  no  reason  to  suppose  that 
it  had  ever  been  greater.     The  general  physical  features  of  this  old  colony 


rilA.KIM    llAl.l.,    1'1.V.M</1  111,    MASS. 


fti;.     1' 


a»i 


'\fm 


» i 


.if;  ^A 

I  •  -I'll: 


,  Ij ',    t 


M   i 


^I5..;„ll? 


64        TUK   GRKAT  WONDKKLANDS   OF   OUR    RKI'UHLIC 


NATUKAI 


are  tjivcn  by  one  who  knows  them  better  than  we  can  pretend  to  do,  and 
whose  description  we  Jl've,  thou},di  with  much  abrid^'ment. 

"  The  land  is  broken  in  outline,  and  rolling  in  ever)-  part,  bein{,'  heaped  up 
in  quick-succeedinjf  hills  and  ranges,  like  the  billows  of  the  oce;',n  in  a  strong 
tideway.  This  conformation  affords  situation  for  numerous  ponds  ami  lake- 
lets. The  forests  are  ancient  and  primeval,  sometimes  extending  for  miles 
without  a  break,  save  where  great  fires  have  devastated,  and  showing  neither 
building  nor  clearing  in  eviilence  that  man  has  ever  brought  the  region  uniler 
subjection.  Within  the  last  decade  as  many  as  two  hundred  deer  have  been 
killed  in  these  and  the  adjacent  woods  of  Sandwich  during  a  single  year. 
Skirting  the  lakes  and  ponds,  and  winding  over  and  among  the  hills,  innumer- 
able roads  afford  the  most  beautiful  driveways  imaginable.  Delightsome 
ocean-views  are  obtained  from  the  summits  of  hill-tops,  extending  for  miles 
inland,  and  outlooks  over  fair  sections  of  hill  and  dale.  Springs  of  purest 
water  abound,  and  bubble  over  on  every  side,  often  proving  the  source  of  the 
finest  ponds. 

"And  where  can  be  found  ocean  shores  or  ocean  views,  or  any  (  .  the  de- 
h'ghts  that  the  salt  sea  can  afford  when  contiguous  to  "the  land,  superior  to 
those  of  Plymouth  and  her  surroundings  ?  There  are  beaches  of  the  hardest 
and  the  whitest  sand;  the  shore  in  places  exposed  to  the  ceaseless  rolling  of 
the  surf,  and  again  receiving  the  advances  of  the  tides  quietly,  without  the 
turning  of  a  single  tiny  sand-crystal.  From  the  rock  which  marks  the  land- 
ing-place of  the  Pilgrim  Fathers,  away  around  to  the  '  White  Horse,'  beyond 
Manomet  and  '  Indian  Hill '  to  Sandwich  line,  isolated  boulders,  rock-patches 
and  masses,  and  craggy  formations  alternate.  The  rarest  of  sailing  and  fish- 
ing is  afforded  along  these  shores;  and  eVery  object  within  sight  from  the 
shifting  stand-point  suggests  the  most  interesting  reminiscences  and  historic 
associations.  Indeed,  no  situation  on  the  entire  Massachusetts  coast  presents 
so  many  varied  features  which  go  to  make  up  the  ideal  summering-place." 

Still  "  Pilgrim  Rock  "—which  some  have  rather  irreverently  called  the 
"  Yankee  Blarney  Stone" — is,  for  an  outsider,  what  really  makes  Plymouth 
what  it  is — a  kind  of  hallowed  ground.  Apart  from  the  tradition  which  makes 
it  mark  the  spot  where  the  Pilgrims  first  set  foot  upon  the  New  England 
shore,  there  is  nothing  noteworthy  about  this  rock.  It  is  to  the  eye  as  com- 
monplace a  boulder  as  any  other  of  the  thousands  which  lie  around.  Neither, 
for  the  matter  of  that,  is  there  anything  specially  notable  in  the  look  of  the 
Irish   Blarney  Stone  or  in  that  of  the  still  more  sacred   Black  Stone  in  the 


NATURAL   SCKNERV   AND   CKLK HUATFJ)    RLSOKIS.        65 

Kaaba  at  Mecca,  the  kissing  of  which,  in  the  faith  of  Islam,  is  held  to  he  .1 
Mirc  passport  tc»  I'aradisc.  The  sanctity  of  any  material  thin^;  rests  nf)t  so 
much  in  the  thing  itself  as  in  the  associations  with  which  it  lias  somehow 
iome  to  be  Unked  in  our  own  minds.  Somewhat  more  tlian  sixt)'  jears  ago 
was  erected  Plymouth  Hall,  a  substantial  granite  structure,  which  iloes  not 
resemble  the  Tar- 
then  o  n  w  h  i  c  h 
crowns  the  Acropo- 
lis at  Athens  half  as 
much  as  it  was  in- 
tended to  do.  It  is 
by  no  means  a  mean 
building,  and  was 
designed  especially 
as  a  repository  for 
relics  connected 
however  reniotcl\- 
with  the"  Mayflow 
cr"  and  her  little 
band  of  Pilgrims ; 
of  these  there  are 
li  e  r  e  preserved  a 
goodly  number  of 
nioreorlessinterest. 
To  the  project- 
ors of  Pilgrim  Hall 
it  seemed  a  good 
idea  to  transport 
"Forefather  s' 
Rock  "  from  its  an- 
cient site,  which  had  come  to  be  a  decidedly  unsightly  one,  to  a  more  respect- 
able place  near  the  newly-built  Hall.  An  effort  was  made  to  raise  the  rock ; 
but  it  would  not  come  up  entire.  A  part  of  it  was  broken  off,  which  was 
borne  with  due  ceremony  and  deposited  in  front  of  the  Hall,  and  surrounded 
with  a  substantial  iron  fence.  The  other,  and  presumably  the  larger  part, 
was  left  where  it  had  always  been,  on  what  is  now  styled  Water  Street.  Over 
it  is  built  a  neat  structure  of  stone,  through  the  railed  openings  of  which,  as 


A    riKCE   OK    TlIK    I'lI.C.RIM    ROCK,    ill  si/ll. 


•■■  him  ^  ' 


ml 


fHHV:! 


W  I? 


'iJui.  J2 


Mf  :U.I' 


66 


THE   GREAT  WONDERLANDS  OF   OUR    RETUBLIC. 


shown  on  a  preceding  page,  the  top  of  the  rock  may  be  seen.  Thus  there 
are  at  Plymouth  two  Pilgrim  Rocks — or,  rather,  two  separate  parts  of  what 
was  once  the  original  rock.  Both  are  genuine;  which  is  entitled  to  the 
higher  reverence  is  an  open  question.  The  part  in  front  of  the  Hall  is  doubt- 
less that  which  the  feet  of  the  Pilgrims  touched ,  the  part  remaining  near 
the  waterside  certainly  marks  the  precise  spot  of  the  historic  landing. 

Plymouth  is  a  sort  of  jumping-off  place  on  tlie  Old  Colony  Railroad,  for 
one  bar  of  the  big  gridiron  ends  here;  and  to  go  anywhere  else  by  rail  we 
must  go  back  a  little  toward  Boston,  and  take  some  other  bar,  of  which  there 
is  ample  choice  for  us.  First  we  will  strike  the  Capo  Cod  branch,  which,  as 
any  map  will  show,  forms  the  long  curved  handle  of  the  gridiron.  The  shape 
of  Italy  is  not  unlike  that  of  a  big  boot ;  quite  as  strikingly  does  Cape  Coil 
/esemble  that  of  a  human  arm  stretched  out  ep  Jtward  from  shoulder  to  elbow, 
where  it  crooks  northward  to  the  wrist,  the  hand  then  bending  westward,  so 
that  the  fingers  point  toward  Plymouth,  which  we  may  call  the  collar-bone. 
The  shoulder-joint  of  this  long  arm  is  about  a  dozen  miles  in  a  straight  line 
south  of  Plymouth,  where  Buzzard's  Bay  sets  in  from  Long  Island  Sound,  so 
deeply  that  if  it  had  gone  some  ten  miles  further  it  would  have  met  the 
Atlantic,  making  our  Cape  Cod  an  island  instead  of  a  peninsula.  Among  the 
plausible  projects  which  have  been  broached  is  that  of  a  ship-canal  across  the 
narrow  peninsula.  Should  this  be  carried  out  there  is  no  saying  what  changes 
will  not  be  wrought  in  our  systems  of  coast  navigation. 

But  as  it  is.  Cape  Cod  is  a  peninsula,  not  an  island.  Measured  from 
shoulder-joint  to  finger-tip  the  length  of  this  long  arm  is  about  65  miles,  with 
an  average  breadth  of  some  five  miles.  It  constitutes  Barnstable  County,  in 
Massachusetts,  having  an  area  of  about  600  square  miles,  and  a  population, 
in  1880  of  about  32,000,  of  whom  fully  nine-tenths  were  born  on  the  Cape. 
Probably  the  very  Yankiest  part  of  all  Yankee-land  is  this  sandy  peninsula  of 
Cape  Cod.  However  commonplace  the  name  may  seem  to  sound,  there  is  a 
pretty  legend  connected  with  its  origin.  In  very  early  colonial  days,  so  we 
are  told,  a  fishing-boat  found  its  way  into  this  almost  land-locked  bay,  which 
as  far  as  known  had  as  yet  no  name  of  its  own.  A  name  it  ought  to  have ; 
and  what  that  name  siiould  be  was  piously  left  to  the  decision  of  higher  than 
human  powers:  whatsoever  fish  should  first  be  caught  should  give  its  name  to 
the  Bay.  That  fish  was  a  cod^ — "  a  goodly  codfish,"  it  is  incidentally  mentioned 
— and  so  the  smooth  expanse  of  water  was  thereupon  named  "  Cod  Bay,"  and 
the  long  sand-arm  which  nearly  encircled  it  came  to  be  styled  "  Cape  Cod." 


8CKNE8    ALONG    CAPE   COD. 


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THE   GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OF   OUR   REPUBLIC. 


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The  popular  idea  of  Cape  Cod — and  it  could  not  have  come  to  be  a  popular 
one  unless  it  were  in  a  measure  founded  on  fact — is  that  of  a  region  of  sand- 
dunes  stretching  for  weary  mile  after  weary  mile  over  plains  well-nigh  destitute 
of  tree  or  verdure,  the  loose  sand  so  deep  in  the  roads  that  a  wagon  sinks 
axle-deep  into  it.  Cape  Cod,  as  a  whole,  is  undeniably  sandy;  and  one  who  is 
on  the  lookout  for  sand — especially  if  he  is  looking  out  from  the  windows  of 
a  railway  carriage — will  find  quite  as  much  as  he  is  looking  for;  and,  moreover, 
the  sharp  sand-grains  have  a  fancy  for  constituting  themselves  his  fellow- 
passengers;  and  get  on  board  when  they  please,  without  the  preliminary 
formality  of  purchasing  a  "  ticket  "  or  obtaining  a  "  pass." 

Yet  in  this  long  narrow  sand-sea  there  is  many  a  green  islet.  There  are 
not  a  few  cranberry  marshes,  which  are  much  nicer  to  look  at  than  to  walk 
upon.  Nowhere  does  this  acidulous  berry  attain  higher  perfection  than  upon 
Cape  Cod,  and  nowhere  is  anything  more  carefully  cultivated.  A  good 
cranberry-bog  of  a  few  acres  has  in  it  potentially  more  gold  than  as  many 
square  feet  of  bonanza  in  California  or  Colorado.  Few  people,  we  suppose, 
become  very  rich  by  cranberrry-growing  on  Cape  Cod ;  but  still  fewer  lose  all 
they  had,  or  thought  they  had,  than  ha\e  ilone  so  in  the  lottery  of  gold-hunt- 
ing and  gold-mining  on  the  Pacific  slope  of  the  continent.  We  can  count  up 
on  our  fingers  all  the  men  who  have  drawn  great  prizes  in  this  lottery;  but 
where  on  earth  shall  we  look  for  any  record  of  those  whose  tickets  drew 
nothing?  The  lucky  ones  do  not  seem  to  have  been  any  better,  nor  much- 
wiser,  than  the  unlucky  ones;  only,  by  what  we  may  call  chance,  they  hap- 
pened to  hold  tickets  which  drew  the  great  prizes. 

So,  although  we  do  not  own  a  cranberry-patch  on  Cape  Cod  or  a  bonanza 
in  California  or  elsewhere,  vnc  moralize  during  the  few  hours  which  intervene 
between  our  departure  from  Plymouth  and  our  arrival  at  Provincetown,  the 
very  tip  of  the  forefinger  of  the  long  arm  of  Cape  Cod,  which  almost  encircles 
Cape  Cod  Bay.  We  shall  have  passed  within  sight  of — whether  we  have  seen 
them  or  not — several  pretty  spots  which,  if  we  could  have  shut  our  eyes  to 
everything  else,  would  almost  have  persuaded  us  that  there  was  no  such  thing 
as  sand  on  Cape  Cod.  There  are  several  villages — notably  those  of  Barn 
stable,  Yarmouth,  and  Eastham — the  streets  of  which  are  shaded  by  old  trees 
as  fine  as  can  be  seen  anywhere  in  the  valley  of  the  Connecticut.  There  are 
several  places  where  are  fancy  farms  hardly  to  be  matched  elsewhere  on  the 
continent.  At  the  lower  end  of  the  Cape — the  shoulder  of  the  arm,  where  it 
has  a  width  of  perhaps  a  score  of  miles — there  is  yet  a  not  inconsiderable 


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70       THE   GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OF   OUR    REPUBLIC: 

growtn  of  native  forest.  The  prevailing  tree  is  the  dwarf  pitch-pine,  the 
odorous  "  needles  "  of  which  perfume  the  atmosphere,  and  are  held  to  have 
no  little  to  do  with  the  acknowledged  salubrity  of  the  region.  We  know  of 
no  region  of  a  couple  of  hundreds  of  square  miles  where  so  large  a  propor- 
tion of  the  population  pass  the  age  of  threescore-and-ten. 

Provincetown,  at  the  very  tip  of  the  forefinger  of  the  long  "  arm  "  of  Cape 
Cod,  apart  from  its  being  just  where  it  is,  presents  some  things  to  attract  atten- 
tion. C;  t  we  read  in  Lippincott's  concis»  "  Gazetteer  of  the  World  :  "  "  Prov- 
incetown, a  post-village  in  Barnstable  County,  Massachusetts,  at  the  northern 
extremity  of  the  long  peninsula  called  Cape  Cod.  It  is  55  miles  by  water 
and  118  miles  by  rail  E.S.E.  of  Boston.  It  has  a  good  harbor,  and  contains 
a  national  bank,  a  publi'"  library,  a  newspaper  ofiice,  two  hotels,  a  high-school 
and  several  churches,     ^t  is  mainly  supported  by  cod  and  mackerel  fisheries." 

But  elsewhere  we  are  told,  much  less  prosaically : 

"  Provincetown  occupies  the  extremity,  the  curving  finger,  of  Cape  Cod. 
With  the  exception  of  a  narrow  strip  or  neck  of  sand-heaps  which  unites  it  to 
the  main  Cape,  it  is  surrounded  by  the  salt  water  of  the  Atlantic,  which  rolls 
unchecked  between  its  shores  and  those  of  Europe.  Its  coast-line,  beginning 
at  a  point  opposite  the  narrow  neck,  sweeps  around  in  a  grand  circle.  The 
inclosed  water  of  this  circle  is  the  harbor  of  Provincetown,  the  town  being 
built  along  the  inner  shore  at  the  bottom  of  the  basin.  Outside  is  the  Race, 
Wood  End,  and  sundry  interesting  points  of  light-house,  life-saving  station, 
and  so  forth.  Inside  is  one  of  the  most  singular  harbors  of  the  world,  deep 
enough  and  spacious  enough  to  shelter  a  fleet  of  hundreds  of  the  largest  ships 
at  one  time,  and  with  peculiarities  belonging  to  itself  suflRcient  to  make  it 
famous  wherever  those  ships  may  sail." 

Undoubtedly  the  cod  and  mackerel  fisheries  are  the  main  pot-boilers  of 
the  Provincetown  fishermen;  but  they  by  no  means  constitute  the  entire  list. 
The  writer  from  whom  we  last  quoted,  goes  on  to  say: 

"  There  are  few  kinds  of  fish,  or  any  methods  of  taking  them,  which  are 
not  familiar  to  the  people  of  this  region.  From  the  fry  and  minnow  for 
pickerel-bait,  up  to  the  iCX)-barrel  '  right  whale,'  Provincetown  waters  have 
witnessed  the  capture  of  all  kinds.  The  beaches  have  received  as  loot  mighty 
carcasses  of  whales  and  blackfish,  and  shoals  of  porgies,  which  all  the  teams 
of  the  region  could  hardly  remove  soon  enough,  so  immense  was  the  deposit. 
A  whale  in  the  harbor  of  Provincetown,  at  certain  seasons,  is  almost  as  com- 


NATURAL   SCENERY   AND   CELEBRATED   RESORTS.       7i 

mon  a  presence  as  that  of  a  turtle  in  a  mill-pond ;  but  they  are  usually  repre- 
sentatives of  a  class  disliked  and  scorned  by  old-school  whale-men." 

This  species  of  whale  is  that  which  is  designated  as  the  "  finback ;  "  and 
there  are  two  good  reasons  why  they  should  be  held  in  slight  esteem :  they 
are  not  easy  to  catch,  and  are  hardly  worth  the  catching.  •  The  finback  is 
described  as  "  a  long,  clean,  perfectly-formed  creature  usually  from  forty-five 
to  fifty  feet  in  length,  but  sometimes  reaching  seventy-five  or  eighty  feet.  He 
is  a  most  complete  model  of  a  craft  for  speed  and  easy  working  in  the  water ; 
and  his  tail,  when  in  motion,  is  a  perfect  c'sivelopment  of  the  screw-motor." 
When  one  is  struck  with  a  harpoon  he  starts  ofT  at  his  topmost  speed.  An 
instance  is  authentically  reported  when  a  finback  who  was  harpooned  near 
Provincetown  head- 
ed straight  across 
Massachusetts  Bay 
in  the  direction  of 
Boston ,  dragging 
the  boat  after  him.' 
In  forty  minutes 
the  whalemen  were 
in  sight  of  the  light- 
house on  Minot's 
Reef,  a  distance  of 

not  less  than  forty  miles,  when  the  crew  cut  loose,  having  payed  out  all  their 
line.  For  forty  miles  they  had  been  towed  at  the  rate  of  a  mile  a  minute.  If 
tiie  finback  had  headed  across  the  Atlantic,  and  could  have  kept  up  his  pace, 
he  would  have  brought  them  in  sight  of  the  European  shores  in  about  a  day 
and  a  half.     In  1885  the  population  of  Provincetown  was  nearly  4,500. 

The  following  illustration  pre  "^nts  a  group  of  characteristic  scenes  on 
Cape  Cod,  most  of  which  explain  themselves.  That  at  the  top  of  the  page 
represents  a  wind-mill  surmounting  a  headland  overlooking  the  water.  It 
certainly  does  not  remind  one  of  the  Round  Tower  at  Newport,  which  may 
have  been  built  for  a  wind-mill ;  at  least,  no  one  can  prove  that  it  was  not. 
Osterville  is  a  pretty  village  on  the  ocean  side  of  the  Cape,  about  thirty  miles 
east  of  New  Bedford,  which  we  shall  visit.  It  is  a  favorite  summer  resort, 
having  a  large  hotel,  several  churches,  a  boat -yard,  and  not  a  few  "  cottages." 
The  pretty  Library  building  might  well  be  mistaken  for  a  co.'.y  private  cottage. 
The  "  Codfish  Orchard  "  is  n&c  inappropriately  named,  if  the  account  be  true 


FLACK  FISH. 


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The  New  Bi 
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THE   GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OF   OUR   REPUBLIC. 


73 


■.•;  Ui 


that  codfish  is  the  staple  fruit  grown  on  the  Cape.  The  story  goes  on  to  say 
—(but  for  the  truthfulness  of  this  part  of  it  we  cannot  fully  vouch) — that  the 
Cape  Cod  cows  feed  mainly  upon  refuse  fish,  and  when  "  milked,"  the  pails 
are  found  to  be  filled  with  the  purest  "  cod-liver  oil."  No  one,  however,  will 
doubt  this,  who  has  come  to  put  faith  in  that  other  story  of  the  thrifty  farmer 
who  furnished  his  cows  with  green-colored  goggles,  fed  them  upon  pine- 
shavings,  which  they  took  to  be  new-mo\f  n  grass,  and,  when  "  milked,"  gave 
out  "  spirits  of  turpentine  "  instead  of  the  more  usual  lactelil  fluid. 

Retracing  our  coursi:  along  the  handle  of  the  gridiron,  we  turn  off  to  the 
southern  rim  of  its  frame,  and  in  an  hour  or  so  find  ourselves  in  the  city  of 
New  Bedford,  fifty-five  miles  from  Boston,  on  the  western  bank  of  the  Acushnet 
River,  just  where  it  opens  into  Buzzard's  Bay.  To  reach  the  city  the  railroad 
crosses  the  river  upon  a  bridge,  three-quarters  of  a  mile  long.  Half  a  century 
ago  New  Bedford  was  a  very  different  place  from  what  it  now  is.  It  was  the 
metropolis  of  the  whale-fishing  industry.  This  was  established  there  about 
1750,  and  flourished  for  a  century.  At  the  time  of  its  highest  prosperity  in 
this  industry.  New  Bedford  had  not  less  than  400  whaling-ships,  which  brought 
home  annually  180,000  barrels  of  oil,  besides  many  tons  of  "whalebone" — 
which,  by  the  way  is  not  bone  at  all,  but  like  big  bundles  of  hairs  fastened 
together  along  their  whole  length  of  a  dozen  feet  or  more,  and  growing  inside 
the  whale's  mouth ;  a  very  useful  article  for  a  whale  to  have  about  him,  since 
it  forms  a  net  in  which  to  catch  sundry  sorts  of  small  creatures  which  form 
its  food;  for  wfc  suppose 'the  true  whale  could  not  swallow  anything  bigger 
than  a  herring;  and  as  it  has  nothing  in  the  way  of  teeth,  could  not  chew  up 
any  larger  creature  which  it  might  have  caught. 

The  New  Bedford  industry  of  whaling  has  greatly  declined  within  the 
memory  of  men  now  living.  In  1880  it  did  not  employ  a  quarter  as  many 
men,  or  produce  a  quarter  as  much  oil  as  it  had  once  done. 

The  corn-fed  pigs  of  Illinois  can  produce  oil  more  cheaply  than  the  fish- 
fed  whales  of  all  the  oceans  can  do.  And  of  late  years  it  looks  as  though  the 
petroleum  wells  are  likely  to  drive  both  whales  and  pigs  out  of  market  as 
producers  of  oil  for  most  purposes;  and  cotton-seed-oil  and  peanut-oil  are 
trenching  upon  the  products  of  the  immemorial  domain  of  the  olive.  It  does 
not  as  yet  appear  that  the  petroleum-wells  propose  to  enter  the  field  as  pro- 
ducers of  oils  for  edible  or  culinary  use.  But  for  illuminating  and  lubricatory 
purposes — such,  for  instance,  as  those  of  lighting  our  dwellings  and  "  making 
the   face  to  shine  " — the  petroleum-wells  have   fairly  put  whales,  pigs  and 


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olivc-trccs  out  of  the  market;  to  say  nothinf:;  of  certain  other  important  uses 
of  which  neither  whale,  pig,  or  olive-tree  ever  dreamed. 

If,  however,  the  whale-tishing  has  come  to  be,  or  is  likely  to  become,  an 
almost  extinct  industry,  New  Bedford  has  been  in  nowise  cast  down.  Acusii- 
net  River,  whose  chief  occupation  had  been  to  make  a  nice  harbor  for 
whaling-ships,  has  been  taught  how  to  turn  water-wheels  for  cotton-mills, 
woollen-mills,  and  such  like  pjjrposes,  which  pay  better  than  whale-hunting 
ever  did.  The  result  is  that  New  Bedford  is  a  much  handsomer  and  richer 
city  than  it  ever  was  in  its  palmiest  whale-. 'ishing  era.  The  population,  which 
has  rapidly  increased  during  the  past  decade,  numbered  in  1885  over  33,000. 

But  New  Bedford,  be  its  attractions  what  they  may,  is  for  us  merelj*  the 
point  from  which  we  can  most  conveniently  reach  the  islands  of  Martha's 
Vineyard  and  Nantucket,  which  lie  not  many  miles  off'  the  southern  shore  of 
Cape  Cod. 

By  a  steame;-  of  the  Fall  River  line  we  cross  Buzzard's  Bay,  that  inlet 
from  Long  Island  Sound  which,  if  it  had  continued  half-a-scorc  miles  further, 
would  have  run  into  Cape  Cod  Bay,  itself  an  almost  land-locked  inlet  of  the 
broad  Atlantic;  Cape  Cod  in  that  case,  if  it  had  any  name  at  all,  would  have 
been  styled  Cod  Island.  The  shores  of  Buzzard's  Bay  present  numerous 
points  worth  visiting  by  one  who  can  give  a  whole  summer  to  this  southern 
bit  of  the  New  England  Coast.  If  he  has  not  time  for  that,  the  accompany- 
ing views  will  tell  him  something  of  what  he  might  have  seen  on  Buzzard's 
Bay. 

Buzzard's  Bay  sets  in  about  thirty  miles.  Both  shores  are  deeply  indented. 
Capes,  locally  styled  "  necks,"  project  from  the  land  into  the  water;  coves, 
often  dignified  as  "harbors,"  set  into  the  land  from  the  water;  and  every 
now  and  then  an  islet  shows  its  head  not  far  from  the  shore. 

Most  of  these  necks,  coves,  and  islets  have  names  of  their  own,  in  which 
Indian  and  English  stand  in  close  proximity.  As  we  leave  New  Bedford 
Harbor,  we  pass  Clarke's.  Point,  with  its  lighthouse,  on  the  other  side  Fair- 
haven  pushes  its  long  sandy  finger  down  into  Buzzard's  Bay.  Close  off  shore 
lies  West  Island;  a  little  farther  on  isRam  Island;  then  Mattapoisett  Harbor 
sets  well  into  the  shore,  with  Cannonville  lighthouse  marking  its  entrance. 
Passing  this,  we  see  Charles  Neck;  a  little  beyond  are  Great  Neck;  Cromset 
Neck,  Indian  Neck,  another  Great  Neck;  then  we  have  Bourne's  Neck,  just 
beyond  which  lies  the  little  Buttermilk  Bay,  the  northeastern  extremity  of 
Buzzard's  Bay,  whence  "  Bourne's  Ship  Canal" — which  as  yet  exists  only  on 


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THE   GREAT  WONDERLANDS  OF   OUR    REPUBLIC. 


paper—  will  cut  across  the  neck  of  Cape  Cod,  completing  the  work  which 
Blizzard's  Bay  had  to  leave  unfinished.  Now  ^oing  down  the  eastern  side  of 
Buzzard's  Bay,  we  pass  Monument  Beach  and  Wenaumet  Neck,  Bassett's 
Island  and  Shaggy  Neck,  Cataumut  Harbor,  Wild  Harbor,  Hog  Island  Har- 
bor, Falmouth,  and  Quamquisset  Harbor,  until  we  reach  Wood's  Holl,  which, 
as  the  Gazetteer  tells  us,  "  is  a  post  village  on  the  strait  which  connects  Buz- 
zard's Bay  with  Vineyard  Sound ;  has  a  safe  harbor  deep  enough  to  admit 
large  ships  and  contains  a  church,  several  summer  boarding-houses,  and  a 
factory  for  fertilizers." 

Wood's  Holl  (^they  pronounce  it  Ho/v)  has  a  special  interest  from  the 
fact  that  it  was  the  summer  headquarters  of  the  United  States  Fish  Commis- 
sion, headed  until  his  death  by  Professor  Spencer  F.  Baird,  to  whose  labors  pis- 
ciculture owes  so  much.  Across  the  narrow  strait  lie' the  islets  of  Naushon, 
Pasque,  Nashawcna,  Cuttyhunk,  and  a  dozen  or  so  more  too  small  to  have  an 
inhabitant  or  even  a  name.  These  are  collectively  designated  as  the  Eliza- 
beth Islands.     A  little  out  in   Buzzard's  Bay  is  the  Penikcse  Islet,  a  hundred 

If 

acres  in  extent,  upon  which  for  many  years  Agassiz  kept  up  a  summer 
school  for  the  study  of  natural  history. 

This  tour  of  ours  around  Buzzard's  Bay,  with  its  long  array  of  names  of 
necks  and  harbors,  has  been  made  only  upon  paper.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  we 
take  steamer  at  New  Bedford,  cross  the  Bay  straight  for  Wood's  Holl,  where 
we  might  have  stopped  for  a  few  minutes,  but  did  not,  for  we  were  bound  for 
Martha's  Vineyard,  and  thence  to  Nantucket. 

Martha's  Vineyard  is  an  island  lying  hardly  five  miles  from  the  southern 
shore  of  Cape  Cod.  In  shape  it  is  very  like  a  codfish  split  open  and  dried. 
Its  length  from  tail  to  shoulder — the  head  being  wanting — is  a  little  more 
than  twenty  miles;  the  breadth  across  the  shoulders  being  about  fifteen  miles, 
whence  it  tapers  down  to  the  flukes.  The  average  breadth  is  about  six  miles. 
The  island  itself  constitutes  a  county,  called  "  Dukes,"  the  smallest  by  far, 
save  one,  of  the  fourteen  into  which  the  State  of  Massachusetts  is  divided. 
The  resident  population  of  Dukes  County  numbers  about  4,200,  while  that  of 
the  neighboring  island  and  county  of  Nantucket  is  only  about '3, 100. 

Who  the  "Martha"  was  from  whom  the  island  derives  its  name;  why  it 
was  styled  her  Vineyard,  or  why  a  "  vineyard  "  at  all,  are  questions  about 
which  not  a  little  has  been  written  more  or  less  wisely.  A  very  early  legend, 
which  nobody  can  now  prove  to  be  untrue,  has  it  that  in  1602 — six  years 
before  the  settlement  was  made  at  Jamestown,  in  Virginia,  and  eighteen  years 


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before  the  riljjrim  l*\'ithers  set  foot  on  I'lymoutli  Rock — Captain  Hr.rtliolo- 
mew  Gosnold  was  cruising  about  in  tliese  almost  landlocked  waters.  lie 
sii;iUed  this  pretty  islet,  and  gave  it  the  name  which  it  bears.  Whether  he 
landed  upon  it  is  not  so  certain.  Some  authorities  will  have  it  that  Gosnoltl's 
"  Martha's  V'ineyard  "  was  a  little  neighboring  islet  which  nov  goes  by  the 
name  of  "  No  Man's  Land." 

The  well-authenticated  history  of  Martha's  Vineyard  goes  back  to  1642, 
when  a  company  of  emigrants  from  Southampton,  England,  established  the 
settlement  of  F.dgartown  on  its  eastern  and  broadest  end.  Edgartown  is  the 
shire-town  of  the  county,  containing  fully  a  third  of  the  permanent  popula- 
tion of  the  island.  The  island  has  several  nice  roadsteads,  such  as  Holme's 
Hole,  which  furnishes  a  natural  harbor  of  refuge  when  the  weather  is  foul. 
Not  unfretpientl)'  hundreiis  of  wa^er-craft  tie  up  here'  for  a  few  days,  their 
crews  perliaps  doubling  the  regular  population  of  the  island,  and  putting 
much  money  into  their  already  fairly-filled  purses.  Yachtsmen,  in  particular, 
are  fond  of  Martha's  Vineyard  aiid  its  surroundings.  A  good  authority, 
whom  we  have  already  quoted,  and  shall  have  further  occasion  to  cpiote, 
says : 

"  Whatever  of  excellences  of  climate  or  sanitary  conditions  any  of  the 
localities  of  this  region  can  boast  are  enjoyed  to  their  fullest  degree  on 
Martha's  Vineyard.  Owing  to  the  peculiar  conformation  and  extent  of  this 
island,  it  has  many  natural  landing-places  for  shi{)ping,  and  as  a  haven  for 
any  kind  of  sailing-fleets  it  has  no  superior  in  the  northern  Atlantic  waters. 
Its  ocean  outlooks  in  every  part  are  of  the  finest;  and  for  what  may  be  styled 
purely  marine  pleasures  it  has  no  equal  on  our  coa.^*-s.  And  as  the  waters 
round  about  Martha's  Vineyard  present  the  finest  highways  for  yachting  and 
boating,  so  the  gently  rolling  grounds  of  the  island,  and  its  long  reaches  of 
level  country,  offer  the  most  excellent  drives,  the  adjuncts  of  which  are  pecu- 
liar to  the  place,  which  in  almost  every  part  is  in  full  view  of  the  ocean. 
Every  breeze  which  prevails  here  must  of  necessity  be  tempered  by  ocean 
influences,  and  the  summer  winds  are  deliciously  cool  and  invigorating,  even 
while  only  a  few  miles  inland  on  the  mainland  the  most  enervating  heats  are 
prevailing." 

The  accompanying  views  on  Martha's  Vi  :;yard  will  tell,  better  than  words 
can,  many  things  there  to  be  seen  in  summer  time,  when  the  actual  popula- 
tion of  the  island  may  be  four  times  greater  than  its  normal  number  of  4,000; 
the  overplus  consists  of  summer  visitors  who  come  and  go  week  by  week. 


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"  Cottatjc  City"  is  one  of  thC  prettiest  places  of  its  kind  anywhere  to  be 
found.  It  stands  on  the  northeastern  point  of  the  island,  on  what  used  to 
be  styled  "  Oak  Bluffs."  Somewhat  more  than  half  a  century  ago  the 
Methodists  fixed  upon  this  then  secluded  spot  as  a  place  for  their  outdoor 
religious  assemblages,  or  "  Camp-meetings."  Year  by  year  the  frequenters 
of  these  assemblages  began  to  put  up  cozy  cottages,  instead  of  tents  or 
tabernacles.  The  spot  was  so  pleasant  that  they  began  to  come  there  a  few 
days  before  the  "meetings"  began,  and  remain  there  a  few  days  or  even 
weeks  after  they  closed.  They,  in  fact,  became  summer  residents  at  Oak 
Bluffs,  It  was  not  long  before  other  people  learned  of  the  attractions  of  the 
spot,  built  cottages  and  villas,  and  made  the  place  their  home  for  half  the 
year.  By-and-by  men  who  cared  more  for  profit  than  praying  cast  their  eyes 
upon  these  bluffs.  They  began  to  put  up  summer  hotels  and  such  like 
attractions.  The  new  hotels  drew  more  visitors,  and  the  throng  of  visitors 
gave  rise  to  new  and  more  sumptuous  hostelries.  and  more  palatial  "  cot- 
tages," until  after  half  a  century,  Cottage  City  claims  fair  rivalry  with  New- 
port. Though  acknowledging  itself  to  be  not  quite  as  big,  it  as.'.erts  itself  to 
be  much  nicer  in  more  ways  than  one.  If  Martha's  Vineyard  has  not  the 
rocky  bluffs  of  the  Island  of  Rhodes,  it  has  much  longer  and  finer  drives 
along  the  sandy  shore.  If  Cottage  City  has  no  antique  Round  Tower,  it  has 
its  great  annual  camp-meeting — an  attraction  the  like  of  which  Newport  h.is 
nothing  to  present.  We  do  not  here  venture  to  pronounce  which  of  the  two 
resorts  is  the  more  enjoyable ;  but  we  will  maintain  against  all  comers,  that 
both  are  better  than  either. 

Among  the  views  presented  is  one  of  Gay  Head,  the  loneliness  of  which 
stands  in  striking  contrast  with  the  urban  scenes  among  which  it  appears. 
Gay  Head  is  as  far  off  from  Oak  Bluff  as  one  can  get  without  leaving  Martin's 
Vineyard.  It  forms  one  fluke  of  the  tail  of  the  fish,  a  shoulder  of  which  is 
occupied  by  Cottage  City.  As  one  approaches  the  Head,  driving  down  the 
shore,  nothing  more  desolate  can  well  be  conceived :  bare  sand,  with  here  and 
there  a  patch  of  scanty  verdure.  Upon  the  Head — or  rather  upon  a  ledge 
just  off-shore — is  a  lighthouse  which  stands  sharply  against  the  evening  sky, 
rising  to  a  height  of  170  feet  above  the  water.  There  is  nothing  esp'-cialiy 
remarkable  to  us  about  this  lighthouse ;  but  somehow  its  revolving  li^ht  has 
fascinations  for  the  seabirds  who  come  voyaging  along  in  the  gloom.  Not  a 
few  of  these  from  time  to  time  dash  themselves  against  the  stout  glass  plates 
which  inclose  the  revolving  light,  and  come  to  grief  thereby.     But  as  these 


NATURAL   SCENERY  AND   CELEBRATED   RESORTS. 


8i 


birds  are  rarely  of  a  toothsome  kind,  we  do  not  suppose  that  their  numerous 
der.d  bodies  add  much  to  the  dietary  of -the  residents  of  the  post-township 
of  Gay  Head,  which  the  Gazetteer  tells  us,  numbers  "216,  of  partial  Indian 
stock." 

The  Gazetteer  says,  in  a  few  words,  "  The  promontory  of  Gay  Head 
affords  abundant  miocene  fossils."  The  authority  which  we  have  made  our 
own  tells  us  much  more:  "This  headland  is  one  of  the  most  remarkable 
natural  curiosities  of  New  England,  being  composed  of  alternating  strata  of 
differently  colored  clays,  red,  white,  j'ellow,  green,  and  others,  succeeding 
each  other  from  base  to  summit,  and  displaying  in  the  sunlight  the  most 
singular  effects.  Like  all  the  region  of  southeastern  Massachusetts,  Martha's 
Vineyard  furnishes  the  foundation  and  loca-  — 
tion  for  many  a  legend  and  tradition."  Hard- 
ly ten  miles  southeastward  from  the  shoulder 
of  Martha's  Vineyard  is  the  tail  of  Nantucket 
Island,  which  on  the  map  looks  much  like  a 
huge  shrimp.  How  the  "  moraine,"  or  pebbly 
mass  which  constitutes  the  geological  forma- 
tion of  the  island,  got  here  is  a  problem 
with  which  scientists  have  amused  and  per- 
haps wearied  themselves.  Those  who  hold 
that  during  the  "glacial  period"  huge  ice- 
bergs, or  ice-continents,  came  slowly  plough-  '-'''^^'  "KAn-i-uiHT. 
ing  down  from  the  North,  got  stranded  in  these  shallow  waters,  warmed  by  the 
Gulf  Stream,  and  melted  away,  depositing  the  stony  fragments  which  they 
had  torn  off  from  the  coasts  of  Labrador  and  the  summits  and  slopes  of  what 
we  now  know  as  the  White  Mountains  and  the  Green  Mountains:  those  who 
thus  hold  and  teach  are  quite  likely  not  far  from  the  truth.  At  all  events, 
here  is  Nantucket,  a  bank  of  water-worn  pebbles  rising  nowhere  more  than  a 
few  score  feet  above  the  present  level  of  thfc  ocean. 

Nantucket  island,  which  also  constitutes  a  county  of  Massachusetts,  though 
it  contains  only  one  township,  has  an  area  of  burcly  fifty  square  miles  and  is 
inhabited  by  about  3,100  people.  There  is  good  reason  for  believing  that  the 
Norsemen  saw  the  island  eight  centuries  ago,  and  that  it  formed  a  part  of  the 
region  to  which  they  gave  the  name  of  Vinland  ("  Wine-land  ").  They  do 
not  seem  to  have  sailed  much  further  south  than  this.  With  the  exception 
of  the  Round  .Tower  at  Newport,  Rhode  Island,  and  the  curious  inscribed 


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stone  at  Dighton,  in  Massachusetts,  we  know  of  nothing  on  our  New  England 
shores  which  anybody  imagines  to  be  the  work  of  these  ante-Columbian 
discoverers  of  America. 

The  two  following  groups  of  views  on  Nantucket  island  will  give  a  fair 

idea  of  what  is  to 
be  seen  there  dur 
ing  the  spring,  sum- 
mer, and  autumn 
months.  During 
the  winter,  for 
weeks  at  a  time  the 
few  resident  dwell- 
ers upon  Nantucket 
are  practically  as 
far  from  the  rest  of 
the  world  as  they 
..re  from  the  moon. 
They  are  frozen  in 
for  a  time;  but 
when  warm  weather 
comes  again  they 
do  not  appea;  to 
be  any  the  worse 
for  their  hiberna- 
tion. We  here  have 
to  do  with  what  we- 
can  see  in  Nan- 
tucket during  the 
summer  time;  and 
there  are  contrasts 
enough  to  suffice  our  widest  wish  for  variety.  The  artist  has  depicted  not 
a  few  of  these  scenes  better  than  we  can  do  in  words. 

Whitticr,  in  one  of  the  most  spirited  of  his  legendary  poems,  tells  of  what 
we  may  hold  to  be  the  first  establishment  of  white  folks  on  Nantucket.  The 
date  is  placed  at  1660.  Thomas  Macey,  who  lived  not  far  from  Newburyport, 
was  threatened  with  fine,  imprisonment,  and  the  whipping-post  for  having 
given  the  shelter  of  his  roof  to  a  "  banished  Quaker."     To  escape  from  their 


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pursuers,  he  and  his  young  wife  sprung  into  a  little  boat,  and  paddled  out 
into  the  waters.  We  can  trace  almost  every  mile  of  this  adventurous  voyage 
of  some  150  miles,  mostly  in  open  ocean,  until  they  reached  their  destined 
haven,  of  which  they  seem  to  have  known  nothing: 

By  green  Pentucket's  southern  slope  the  small  boat  glided  fast ; 

The  watchers  of  the  "  block  house  "  saw  the  strangers  as  they  passed. 

That  night  a  stalwart  garrison  sat  shaking  in  their  shoes 

To  hear  tfie  dip  of  Indian  oars,  the  glide  of  birch  canoes. 

The  fisher-wives  of  Salisbury  (the  men  were  all  away) 

Looked  -  .'t  to  see  the  stranger  oar  upon  their  waters  play. 

Deer  island's  rocks  and  fir-trees  threw  their  sunset  shadows  o'er  them, 

And  Newbury's  spire  and  weather-cock  peered  o'er  the  pines  before  them. 

Around  the  Black  Rocks,  on  their  left,  the  marsh  lay  broad  and  green  ; 

And  on  their  right,  with  dwarf-shrnbs  crowned.  Plum  Island's  hills  were  seen. 

With  skilful  hand  and  war)'  eye  the  harbor  bar  was  crossed, 

A  plaything  of  the  restless  wave,  the  boat  on  ocean  tossed. 

The  glory  of  the  sunset-heaven  on  land  and  water  lay  ; 

On  the  steep  hills  of  Agawam,  on  cape,  and  bluff,  and  bay. 

They  passed  the  gray  rocks  of  Cape  Ann,  and  Gloucester's  harbor-bar ; 

The  watch-fire  of  the  garrison  shone  like  a  setting  star. 

Now  brightly  broke  the  morning  on  Massachusetts  Bay ; 

Blue  wave,  and  bright  green  island,  rejoicing  in  the  day! 

On  passed  the  bark  in  safety,  round  isle  and  headland  steep; 

No  tempest  broke  above  them,  no  fog-cloud  veiled  the  deep. 

Far  round  the  bleak  and  stormy  cape,  the  venturous  Macey  passed, 
And  on  Nantucket's  naked  isle  drew  up  his  boat  at  last. 
And  now,  in  log-built  cabin,  they  braved  the  tough  sea-weather; 
And  there,  in  peace  and  quietness,  went  down  life's  vale  together. 
How  others  drew  around  tliem,  and  how  their  fishing  sped. 
Until  to  every  wind  of  heaven  Nantucket's  sails  were  spread  ; 
How  pale  Want  alternated  with  Plenty's  golden  smile: — 
Behold,  is  it  not  written  in  the  annals  of  the  isle? 

And  yet  the  isle  remaineth  a  refuge  for  the  free. 
As  when  true-hearted  Macey  beheld  it  from  the  sea' 
Free  as  the  winds  that  winnow  her  shrubless  hills  of  sand  ; 
Free  as  the  waves  that  batter  along  her  yielding  land 
Than  hers,  ac  duty's  summons,  no  loftier  spirit  stirs. 
Nor  falls  o'er  human  suffering  a  readier  tear  than  hers. 
God  bless  the  sea-beat  island  !   and  grant  for  evermore 
That  charity  and  freedom  dwell,  as  now,  upon  her  shore. 

When  Macey  settled  upon  the  island  it  had  an  aboriginal  population  esti- 
mated at  1,500;  within  the  ensuing  century  this  gradually  decreased  to  350; 
in  1763  a  pestilence  carried  off  222  of  these.  The  last  Indian  of  full  blood 
died  in  1821  ;  the  last  of  half-blood  in   1854.     Hardly  ten  years  had  passed 


<  >  -.1'- 


NATURAL   SCENERY   AND   CELEBRATED   RESORTS. 


8: 


before  Nantucket  became  noted  for  its  off-shore  fisheries.  The  date  of  the 
capture  of  the  first  sperm-whale  by  Nantucket  fishermen  is  given  at  the  year 
1 712,  and  vessels  of  larger  size,  fitted  for  longer  voyages,  began  to  be  em- 
ployed. In  1775  Nantucket  had  150  whaling  ships,  which  cruised  as  far  as 
Davis  Strait  on  the  north  and  the  coast  of  Brazil  on  the  south.  The  war  of 
the  Revolution  stopped  this  industry  for  the  time;  but  after  its  close  the 
business  was  revived  with  still  greater  activity.  In  1791  the  first  whale-ship 
from  Nantucket  was  sent  to  the  Pacific.  For  another  half  century  the  busi- 
ness  was  a  prosperous  one.  But  in  1846  the  town  of  Nantucket  was  well- 
nigh  burnt  down ;  and  from  that  time  the  whale-fishery  from  this  place  grew 
less  and  less,  until  it  has  come  to  be  practically  extinct.  Among  the  causes 
of  this  falling  off — total  as  far  as  Nantucket  is  concerned — we  find  the  follow- 
ing enumerated  by  competent  authority:  "  The  scarcity  of  whales  from  their 
being  so  constantly  hunted;  the  increasing  use  of  gas  and  mineral  oils;  and 
the  substitution  of  steel  for  whalebone  in  many  articles  of  clothing,  umbrellas, 
parasols,  and  the  like,  and  of  hard-rubber  or  vulcanite  in  other  cases."  In 
fact,  petroleum  wells  and  the  india-rubber  tree  have  pretty  well  driven  whales 
out  of  the  market  as  producers  of  oil  and  whalebone. 

The  following  figures  show  the  fluctuations  in  the  white  population  of  the 
island  at  different  periods:  in  1763,  3,220;  in  1774,  4,545,  among  whom  w:re 
one  clergyman,  one  lawyer,  and  two  physicians;  in  1784,  4,209;  in  1800, 
5,617;  in  1810,6,807;  in  1820,  7,202;  in  1840,  9,712;  this  was  the  highest 
point  ever  reached,  and  from  this  time  the  population  has  gradually  but 
steadily  fallen  off.  In  1 860  it  was  6,094 ;  in  1870,4,123;  in  1880,3,727.  As 
people  do  not  die  off  rapidly  there,  the  conclusion  is  inevitable  that  the  emi- 
gration  to  other  sections  mucK  more  than  counter-balanced  the  natural  in- 
crease of  population. 

Among  all  the  locations  which  have  been  assigned  to  the  Garden  of  Eden, 
we  almost  wonder  that  nobody  has  thought  of  naming  the  island  of  Nan- 
tucket. It  would  require  no  great  strain  of  the  imagination  to  recognize  in 
the  waters  which  encircle  the  sea-girt  island,  the  "  river  which  went  out  of 
Eden  to  water  the  garden,  whence  it  was  parted  and  became  into  four  heads." 
Pison,  Hiddekel,  and  Phrat,  would  be  fairly  enough  represented  by  the  waters 
which  circle  the  northern,  western,  and  southern  shores,  which  have  tidal  and 
other  currents  that  might  well  have  led  an  early  narrator,  who  had  nothing 
but  his  own  observations  to  rely  upon,  to  suppose  them  to  be  veritable 
rivers.     And  as  for  the  "  Second  river  Gihon,  that  which  compasseth  the 


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THE   GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OF   OUR    REPUBLIC; 


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whole  land  of  Ethiopia,"  how  better  could  have  been  named  the  broatl 
"  ocean  river  "  on  the  east,  whose  limits  no  man  then  could  know,  and  of 
which  we  now  know  that  in  it  is  no  inch  of  dry  land  until  we  reach  the  shores 
of  tile  Eastern  Continent,  upon  which  must  have  been  "the  whole  land  of 
Ethiopia" — no  matter  how  much  or  how  little  of  the  region  may  have  been 
in  the  narrator's  mind  when  he  put  down  the  score  of  words  in  which  he 
describes  it. 

As  for  soil  and  productions,  we  must  acknowledge  that  the  Nantucket 
which  we  know  does  not  well  correspond  with  our  ideal  of  the  Garden  of 
Eden,  wherein  "  the  Lord  God  made  to  grow  every  tree  that  is  pleasant  to 
the  sight  and  good  for  food  " — to  say  nothing  of  those  two  wonderful  trees, 
the  "  Tree  of  Life  "  and  the  "  Tree  of  Knowledge  of  Good  and  Evil.  '  Few 
things  are  rarer  on  our  Nantucket  than  a  tree  of  any  "kind.  Instead  of  fruit- 
trees  it  now  grows  summer  hotels,  and  bathing-places. 

As  for  climate,  using  the  word  in  its  widest  sense — Nantucket  comes  well 
up  to  our  idea  of  what  the  Garden  of  Eden  might  have  been.  For  a  time  in 
winter  the  weather  must  be  rather  cold,  since,  as  we  are  told,  the  surrounding 
waters  are  so  frozen  "  that  weeks  go  by  without  the  possibility  of  passing  to 
or  from  its  shores."  But  it  is  not  so  much  winter  cold  as  summer  heat  that 
tells  upon  the  human  frame.  Nantucket  hardly  knows  what  we  call  a  "  hot 
day."  Year  after  year  the  highest  temperature  indicated  by  the  thermometer 
is  86°,  never  going  above  90°;  and  even  in  a  hot  day  "  there  is  a  never-failing 
succession  of  breezes  blowing  over  the  land,"  which  render  the  markings  of 
the  thermometer  no  correct  indications  of  the  temperature  as  felt  by  the 
human  system.  In  a  word,  never,  for  more  than  a  few  hours  in  succession, 
does  anybody  think  it  very  hot  at  Nantucket'. 

The  sanitary  effects  of  the  climate  are  set  forth  in  a  paragraph  which  we 
quote  from  what  we  judge  to  be  good  authorit)':  "Within  a  few  years 
there  has  happened  a  period  when  upward  of  one-ninth  of  the  population  of 
the  island  was  over  70  years  old.  During  one  recent  year  there  were  /y 
deaths,  and  of  this  number  72  per  cent  lived  to  the  age  of  73  years.  Five  of 
these  deaths  were  of  persons  over  go  years  of  age;  fifteen  had  lived  over  80 
years,  and  eighteen  over  70  years.  There  were  but  eleven  deaths  under  36 
years  of  age,  and  of  these  8  were  babes  under  one  year  old.  The  remaining 
ages  were,  one  of  16  and  two  of  25.  Surely,"  adds  the  writer,  "there  must 
be  something  'life-giving'  in  the  sanitary  condition  of  the  island  so  to  prolong 
existence  and  lower  the  death-rate."     He  says,  furthermore,  that  those  who 


fr  rj 


NATURAL   SCENERY  AND   CELEBRATED   RESORTS.       87 

(.  )ine  here  only  for  a  brief  sojourn  find  immediate  benefits  from  this  sea-girt 
s.matorium,  "which  they  are  often  able  to  note  from  the  very  first  hour  of 
their  coming;  persons  sojourning  here  invariably  find  the  appetite  and  the 
inclination  to  sleep  largely  increased  during  their  visits;  and  the  benefits  to 
health  here  received  are  permanent,  and  to  be  carried  away  and  enjoyed  by 
the  recipient  wherever  he  may  go.  It  will,"  he  says  in  conclusion,  "  be  a 
sufficient  recommendation  of  Nantucket,  as  a  place  of  summer  losort,  to  say 
tliat  here  one  may  be  sure  of  finding  cool  nights  for  sleeping,  and  never  a 
mosquito  to  hum  his  lullaby." 

But  Newport  and  Nantasket,  Plymouth  and  Provincetovvn,  Martha's  Vine- 
yard and  Nantucket,  and  all  the  hundreds  of  fair  places  around  and  between, 
do  not  constitute  the  entire  New  England  Coast.  Indeed,  they  form  only  a 
\  cry  small  part  of  it,  as  a  glance  at  any  map  will  show.  We  propose  to  con- 
tinue this  summer  tour  of  ours  to  a  region  where  nature  works  for  our  delec- 
tation with  rock  rather  than  with  sand  a«d  where  there  are  besides  ocean 
shores  inland  lakes  and  ponds  innumerable :  the  region,  in  short  of  which 
Whittier,  writing  "  First,  Nov.  26th,  1887,"  says: 

"Gems  of  the  Northland,  never  yet 
Were  lakes  in  lovelier  valleys  set, 
Glassing  the  granites  and  the  pines 
That  mark  New  Hampshire's  mountain  lines. 

'And  not  less  fair  the  winding  ways 
Of  Casco  and  Penobscot  bays. 
They  seek  for  happier  shores  in  vam, 
Who  leave  the  summer  isles  of  Maine." 

Our  proposed  trip — already  accomplished,  notes  of  which  are  to  follow — 
covered  much  more  territory  than  this.  From  Boston  we  are  to  go  by  rail 
to  Lake  Winnipiseogee,  in  New  Hampshire;  thence  to  Portland  in  Maine, 
and  to  the  celebrated  summer  resort  near  by  known  as  Mount  Desert  Island. 

Leaving  Nantucket  Island,  a  steamer  carries  us  back,  past  Martha's  Vine- 
yard to  Wood's  Holl,  at  the  southwestern  shoulder  of  Cape  Cod.  A  detached 
bar  of  the  Old  Colony  Railroad  gridiron  comes  down  here.  We  leave  the 
water,  and  take  to  the  rail,  skirting  the  western  and  northern  sides  of  Buz- 
zard's Bay.  For  want  of  more  exciting  topics  of  inquiry  we  try  to  find  out 
how  this  bit  of  water  came  by  its  name.  We  are  told  by  one  that  in  former 
times  the  "buzzard,"  a  pretty  big  kind  of  fishing-bird,  which  some  naturalists 
describe  as  "  an  inferior  sort  of  eagle,  having  a  rather  small  and  weak  bill," 


<    .1,,    I'  .rl'f.      •  Ihi'^f 


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.4  «!i,i 


m 


88 


THE   GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OF   OUR   REPUBLIC; 


used  to  abound  hereabouts,  where  they  managed  to  pick  up  a  comfortabli' 
living  by  catching  fish.  Another  informant  was  quite  as  confident  that  a 
certain  Mr.  Buzzard  had  his  home  hereabouts,  and  jmve  his  own  name  to  thi. 
bay.  After  all,  the  stories  are  not  contradictory.  Who  knows  that  both  arc 
not  "founded  on  fact?"  At  all  events,  we  get  l^uck  to  Boston  '  y  rail,  and 
the  Map  and  Gazetteers  tell  us  of  not  a  few  pleasant  places  along  the  route 
which  we  might  have  seen  had  we  looked  out  from  the  windows  of  the  cars— 
which  we  did  not  do  to  any  great  extent. 

We  reached  Boston  late  at  night,  but  were  ready  to  set  out  early  next 
morning  for  "  fresh  fields  and  pastures  new."  The  "  Boston  and  Maine  Rail- 
road," a  union  of  several  lines  originally  distinct,  but  now  under  one  general 
management,  foreseeing  our  wants,  and  those  of  many  others  with  more  or 
less  money  in  their  purses,  has  made  provision  to  carry  us  as  far  as  we 
propose  to  go — and  much  farther,  indeed,  if  we  had  wished.  The  Com- 
pany furnishes  excellent  facilities  for  reaching  the  various  points  of  interest 
on  the  route.  It  operates  three  distinct  lines  between  Boston  and  Port- 
land, a  distance  of  a  little  more  than  one  hundred  miles  in  a  straight 
course.  The  eastern  line  runs  along  the  Atlantic  coast,  rarely  at  a  dis- 
tance of  ten  miles.  The  western  line  starts  from  Worcester,  not  quite 
fifty  miles  southwest  of  Boston,  where  it  connects  with  other  railways  run- 
ning in  every  direction.  About  midway  between  these  routes,  and  nearly 
parallel  with  both,  is  the  middle  line  by  which  we  are  to  travel.  There  is 
rarely  anywhere  a  distance  of  a  score  of  miles  between  one  of  these  lines  and 
the  one  next  to  it,  and  all  are  connected  at  frequent  intervals. 

Starting  from  the  main  station  in  Haymarket  Square — so-called  because 
not  many  years  ago  sloops  and  barges  laden  with  hay  used  to  come  up  here 
and  deposit  their  bulky  cargoes — our  train  heads  northwestward  toward  the 
Merrimac  River,  as  though  we  were  going  to  touch  at  Lowell,  twenty-five 
miles  from  Boston,  and  next  to  it  in  the  State  in  point  of  population,  having  a 
few  hundred  more  inhabitants  than  Worcester,  its  close  rival.  The  Merrimac, 
rising  among  the  White  Mountains  in  New  Hampshire,  and  having  a  total 
length  of  about  150  miles,  is  perhaps  the  most  industrious  river  in  the  world. 
Every  cubic  foot  of  its  water  is  set  to  work  spinning  or  weaving,  especially  at 
Lowell,  at  Nashua,  fourteen  miles,  and  Manchester,  about  as  much  more  above 
Lowell,  and  at  Lawrence  ten  miles  below.  These  great  manufacturing  cities 
have  a  population  cf  about  160,000;  and  not  one  of  them  could  have  been 
more  than  a  quiet  agricultural  village  save  for  the  Merrimac   River  which 


NATURA 


NATURAL   SCENERY   AND   CELEBRATED   RESORTS.       89 

stood  ready  to  turn  innumerable  water-wheels  as  soon  as  anybody  should  ask 
il  so  to  do. 

Lowell,  the  oldest  and  the  largeK*-  ">f  these  cities,  was  never  dreamed  of 
seventy  years  ago.  About  1674,  Job  Eliot,  "the  apostle  to  the  Indians," 
was  preaching  to  the  natives  hereaboi.  :s.  On  one  spring  Sunday  he  and  his 
companion,  Daniel  Gookin,  were  hospitably  entertained  "  at  the  wigwam  of 
i)ne  called  Wannalancet,  near  Pawtucket  Falls  in  the  Merrimack  River." 
Gookin,  in  his  "  Historical  Collections  of  the  Indians  in  New  England,"  gives 
an  instructive  account  of  Eliot's  method  of  Christianizing  the  Indians.  We 
may,  with  no  great  stretch  of  the  imagination,  believe  that  he  describes  what 
actually  took  place  on  that  bright  May  Sunday  in  1674,  in  the  very  centre  of 
the  spot  at  t'  :  foot  of  the  Pawtucket  Falls,  around  which  has  within  the  mem- 
ory of  men  i.ow     zing  grown  up  the  "City  of  Spindles."     Gookin  says: 

"  Besid  •.  pr';a:hing  to  them,  he  framed  two  catechisms  in  the  Indian 
tongue,  containing  the  principles  of  the  Christian  religion — a  lesser  for 
children,  an  a  larger  for  older  persons.  These  also  he  communicated  unto 
the  Ind'ms  gradually,  a  few  questions  at  a  time,  according  unto  their  capacity 
to  rece.ve  them.  His  manner  was,  after  he  had  begun  the  meeting  with 
prayer,  then  first  to  catechise  the  children.  Then  he  would  encourage  them 
with  some  small  gift,  as  an  apple  or  a  small  biscuit,  which  he  caused  to  be 
brought  for  the  purpose.  And  by  his  prudence  and  winning  practice  the 
children  were  induced  with  delight  to  get  into  their  memories  the  principles 
of  the  Christian  religion.  When  the  catechising  was  past  he  would  preach  to 
them  upon  some  portion  of  Scripture  for  about  three-quarters  of  an  hour, 
and  then  give  liberty  to  the  Indians  to  propound  questions,  and,  in  the  close, 
finish  all  with  prayer." 

What  with  preliminary  catechising  the  children,  a  sermon  of  three-quarters 
of  an  hour,  subsequent  catechising  of  the  grown-up  Indians,  and  the  inter- 
spersed prayers,  we  imagine  that  this  first  Christian  service  of  which  we  have 
any  record  held  at  what  is  now  Lowell,  must  have  occupied  some  four  or  five 
hours.  Religious  services  there  are  in  our  days  much  shorter.  A  century 
and  a  half  passes  before  we  get  another  glimpse  at  these  Pawtucket  Falls  on 
the  Merrimac,  which  effectually  barred  all  passage  up  the  river  for  boats  or 
even  fish.  But  this  stoppage  of  fish  was  a  godsend  to  the  Indians,  for  it  gave 
them,  in  proper  season,  the  best  fishing-ground  in  the  region.  They  could 
literally  scoop  them  up  by  the  boat-load  with  their  bare  hands  from  among 
the  broken  rocks  at  the  foot  of  the  Falls,  where  their  upward  course  was 


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90 


TIIF.   GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OF   OUR    I.El'UHLIC: 


stopped;  for  \vc  s  ipposc  nothiiij^  that  swims  could  ascend  tlicsi;  falls,  or 
rather  rapids,  which  in  the  space  of  three  or  four  miles  have  a  descent  ol 
perhaps  fifty  feet.  It  happens  that  the  writer  of  these  pages  spent  several 
years  of  his  boyhood  at  Lowell,  then  rapidly  growing  into  a  nianufacturin.L; 
town;  and  he  has  seen  the  fish  (notably  lamprey-eels)  caught  by  the  barrelful 
by  hand.  Only  once  since — and  that  more  than  twenty  years  ago— has  hi 
seen  Lowell.  He  would  then  have  scarcely  known  the  place.  Still  less 
would  he  recognize  it  now,  as  he  found  it  described  in  a  recent  work,  which 
he  happened  to  have  with  him, 

"  Pawtucket  and  Wamesit,  where  the  Indians  resorted  in  the  fishing  season, 
are  now  Lowell,  the  city  of  spindles  and  Manchester  of  America,  which  sends 
its  cotton  cloth  around  the  globe.  The  water  power  was  not  utilized  until 
1821,  when  some  Boston  men  set  up  a  factory  here.  In  1823  the  Merrimac 
cotton  mills  were  started.  Now  Lowell's  textile  factories  employ  a  capital 
of  near!)'  $20,000,000,  running  25,000  looms  and  almost  1,000,000  spindles. 
They  produce  annually  240,000,000  yards  of  cotton  cloth,  10,000,000.  yards 
of  woollens,  3,500,000  yards  of  carpetings,  120,000  shawls,  16,500,000  pairs  of 
hose,  and  100,000,000  yards  of  cloth  are  dyed  and  printed.  In  a  word,  Lowell 
weaves  enough  cotton  cloth  to  furnish  every  man,  woman,  and  child  in  the 
United  States  with  five  yards  a  year  Lowell  was  incorporated  as  a  city  in 
1836;  in  1840  its  population  was  21,000;  in  i860,  37,000;  in  1870,41,000;  in 
1880.  60,000;  and  is  now  fully  70,000,  the  larger  half  of  whom  arc  employed  in 
the  mills,  the  wheels  of  all  of  which  are  turned  by  the  water  of  the  Merrimac. 
It  would  be  a  curious  inquiry  hnv.  man\-  hundreds  of  thousands  of  human 
beings  could  do  the  mechanical  work  performed  by  the  Merrimac  at  this  one 
point.  And,  moreover,  at  Lawrence,  ten  miles  below,  the  river  does  quite 
half  as  much  work  as  at  Lowell,  and  fully  as  much  more  at  Nashua  and 
Manchester,  a  few  miles  above." 

These  speculations  occupy  our  thoughts  while  we  are  carried  inland  to  the 
beautiful  lake  Winnipiseogee.  This  lake,  which  lies  about  470  feet  above  the 
sea  level,  is  about  25  miles  long,  the  greatest  breadth  being  less  than  half  as 
much,  and  its  surface  consists  to  a  good  degree  of  narrow  bays  or  coves  jut- 
ting up  into  the  land  in  all  sorts  of  directions;  not  seldom,  if  these  bays  had 
shoved  a  little  further,  they  would  have  made  their  way  into  other  little  lakes, 
or  ponds.  As  it  is,  however,  we  suppose  that  their  waters,  fed  by  brooks  in 
numerable,  find  their  own  way  into  Winnipiseogee,  and  thence  into  the 
Merrimac,  of  which  it  is  the  main  reservoir,  keeping  its  waters  at  an  almost 


NATUR; 

Kliial  volume  tl 
Michigan  and 
wire  it  not  for 
iiDt  have  becom 
been  a  mountai 
ill  summer  and 

One  may  m; 
h;md  and  wrist, 
ami  marking  ar 
liiumb,  fingers, 
actual  number 
and  what  not,  a 

The  most  a( 
1816)  President 
what  were  then 
siller  the  weeks 
his  merits  as  a  t 
of  no  mean  rank 
the  neighboring 
New  York;    vis 
the  Kaatskills, 
of  letters,  whic 
New  England  .1 

Of  one  of  t 
mention  in  Der 
date  of  Septcm 
of  Yale  College 
whence,  we  unc 
rugged  tour  wi 
gentleman,  the 
It  was  not  i 
Dwight  first  si 
Lake  George  v 
"  Winnipisaukc 
gancc,  is  almos 
lay  on  the  east 
■even  fifty  year 


NATURAL  SCENERY   AND   CELEBRATED    RESORTS. 


yi 


c(|iial  volume  throughout  the  year,  and  year  after  year,  much  as  Superior  ami 
Michigan  ami  Huron  and  Erie  do  for  the  mighty  St.  Lawrence.  Indeed, 
wtie  it  not  for  the  storehouse  of  Lake  Winnipiseogee,  the  Merrimac  could 
not  have  become  the  useful  servitor  to  man  which  it  now  is.  It  would  have 
bucii  a  mountain  torrent  overflowing  in  the  spring,  and  with  but  scanty  water 
ill  summer  and  autumn. 

One  may  make  a  tolerably  good  map  of  Winnipiscogee  by  laying  his  left 
liand  and  wrist,  palm  downward,  upon  .a  sheet  of  pai)er,  spreading  the  fingers, 
aiu!  marking  around  them  with  a  jjencil.  But  he  must  not  omit  to  adorn 
tiuimb,  fingers,  and  wrist  with  island  jewels  to  his  heart's  content,  for  their 
actual  number  is  almost  past  counting,  and  their  names,  in  Indian,  Yankee, 
and  what  not,  afford  material  for  many  an  hour  of  philological  study. 

The  most  admirable  Timothy  Dwight,  for  a  full  score  of  years  (1795  to 
1S16)  President  of  Yale  College,  was  wont  to  spend  his  annual  vacation  in 
what  were  then  considered  long  excursions;  and  long  they  were  if  we  con- 
sider the  weeks  rather  than  the  number  of  miles  which  they  occupied.  Besides 
his  merits  as  a  theologian,  Dwight  was  an  ardent  lover  of  nature,  and  a  poet 
of  no  mean  rank.  We  are  told  that,  in  these  excursions,  "  he  journej'ed  through 
the  neighboring  States  of  New  Hampshire,  Massachusetts,  Rhode  Island,  and 
New  York;  visited  the  White  Mountains,  Lake  George,  Montauk,  Niagara, 
the  Kaatskills,  etc.,  keeping  notes  of  his  journeys,  written  out  in  the  form 
of  letters,  which  were  published  after  his  death,  under  the  title  of  '  Travels  in 
New  England  and  New  York.' " 

Of  one  of  the  earliest  of  these  journeys  we  find  the  following  prefatory 
mention  in  Dennie's  "  Farmer's  Museum,"  published  at  Walpole,  N.  H,,  under 
date  of  September  25th,  1797:  "This  morning  the  truly  respectable  President 
of  Yale  College  proceeded  from  this  village  on  a  journey  to  the  Upper  Coos; 
whence,  we  understand,  he  intends  passing  over  the  White  Mountains.  His 
rugged  tour  will,  we  hope,  be  relieved  by  those  civilities  which  are  due  to  the 
gentleman,  the  scholar,  and  the  unaffected  Christian." 

It  was  not  in  this  journey,  but  in  one  made  ten  or  more  years  later,  that 
Dwight  first  saw  Lake  Winnipiseogec;  he  expresses  his  wonder  that  while 
Lake  George  was  annually  \isited  by  numerous  people  from  New  England, 
"  Winnipisaukee,  notwithstanding  all  its  accumulation  of  splendor  and  ele- 
gance, is  almost  as  much  unknown  to  the  inhabitants  of  this  country  as  if  it 
lay  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  Caspian."  The  simple  fact  is  that  seventy  or 
even  fifty  years  ago  Winnipiseogec  was  actually  farther  from  Boston  than 


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THK   r.RKAT  WONDKRLANDS   OF   OUR    REPUBLIC: 


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.my  spot  in  the  Heart  of  the  Rockies  now  is.  All  this  has  been  chanj^ed;  an(! 
now  "  tliis  most  exquisite  jewel  in  the  lake  necklace  of  New  Kn|jlancl,"  as  it 
has  been  well  styled,  is  within  a  few  hours  of  any  point  in  our  Eastern  States. 

Of  some  of  the  nei^diborinjj  lakes  Thomas  Starr  Kinj^ — true  poet  as  he 
was,  though  we  have  never  seen  a  line  t)f  verse  composed  by  him — writes: 
"There  is  (ireat  Squam,  singularly  stripeil  with  lony,  narrow,  crinkling 
islands,  and  Little  Scpiam,  unbroken  by  islands,  fringed  and  shadowed  by 
thickets  of  the  richest  foliage  that  are  disposed  around  its  western  shore  in  a 
long  sweeping  curve-line  which  will  be  remembered  as  a  delightful  melody  (nf 
the  eye.  .  .  .  The  larger  lake,  though  not  a  fourth  part  so  large  as 
Winnipiseogee,  is  doubtless  the  most  beautiful  of  all  the  small  sheets  t)f 
water  in  New  Ivigland ;  and  it  has  been  pronounced  by  one  gentleman,  no 
less  careful  in  his  words  than  cultivated  in  his  tastes,  more  charmingly  em- 
bosomed in  the  landscape  than  any  lake  of  equal  size  he  had  ever  seen  in 
Europe  or  America." 

In  ilefault  of  any  description  of  our  own  we  quote  a  few  paragraphs  from 
Mr.  Ernest  Ingersoll: 

*'  Red  Hill  has  a  summit  at  the  northern  end  over  2,000  feet  high,  the 
picture  visible  from  which,  as  many  men  have  gazed  upon  the  noted  land- 
scapes of  the  world  will  tell  you,  is  unequalled  in  either  continent  for  that 
enduring  quality  which  we  call  loveliness.  Its  extent  alone  is  worth  noting. 
Kearsarge  and  Monadnock  are  plainly  visible  at  the  southwest,  and  in  the 
west  the  eye  reaches  far  over  the  hills  toward  the  Connecticut.  Turning  to 
the  right,  where  Squam  Lake  is  glittering  in  the  foreground  of  the  west,  Mt. 
Cardigan,  the  hills  along  the  Connecticut,  and  more  to  the  northward,  the 
immense  mass  of  Moosilauke  are  seen;  then  the  Franconia  Mountains  far 
away  over  nearer  ranges.  The  huge  dome  of  Sandwich  cuts  off  the  north  for 
a  space,  hiding  the  White  Mbuntains  and  their  neighbors  as  far  as  Carrigain, 
of  which  a  portion  only  is  revealed,  with  a  part  of  the  slide-marked  Tri-pyra- 
mid  at  its  right.  And  so  the  eye  is  led  around  to  the  shapely  broadside  of 
the  Ossipee,  and  the  circle  is  complete.  What  fills  this  cicle  as  you  rest  your 
gaze  in  the  southward  ?  Winnipiseogee — '  fashioned  with  every  elegance  of 
figure,  bordered  with  the  most  beautiful  winding  shores,  and  studded  with  a 
multitude  of  islands,'  as  Dwight  expressed  it;  'liquid  silver  run  into  a  vessel 
of  unequal  surface,'  as  Isaacs  fancied  it  to  be;  'islands  and  shores  that  fringe 
the  water  with  winding  lines  and  long  narrow  capes  of  green,'  as  Starr  King 
paints  it  in  words,  more  truly  than  can  be  done  by  the  pencil  of  the  artist." 


NATURAL  SCENERY  AND  CELEHRATED   RESORTS. 


9^ 


From  Winiiipiscoi^cc  one  may  well  hesitate  wlietlier  to  j,m)  first  to  the 
White  Mountains  a  little  northward,  or  to  turn  eastward,  toward  the  Atlantic 
coast.  We  choose  the  latter;  anti  what  is  styled  "the  Northern  Division  of 
the  Boston  and  Maine  Railroad"  is  ready  to  take  us  whither  we  will.  We 
have  elected  to  make  Portland,  the  principal  seaport  in  Maine,  our  next 
objective  point. 

Of  Portland,  as  a  city,  there  is  not  very  much  to  be  said  here.  We  read 
ill  a  reliable  Gazetteer,  that  it  is  beautifully  situated  on  a  peninsula  at  the 
southwestern  extremity  of  Casco  Hay.  It  was  first  named  Falmouth;  was 
settled  by  an  En^jlish  colony  in  1632,  and  was  three  times  burned  in  the  war* 
with  the  French  and  Indians.  It  possesses  broad,  shaded  streets,  and  hand- 
some public  and  private  edifices,  at  the  same  time  forming  a  centre  to  the 
luimerous  wateriiijj-places  within  reach,  where  the  purest  of  sea  air  can  be 
found  The  harbor  is  one  of  the  best  on  the  Atlantic  coast;  the  anchorajje 
bcinjf  protected  on  every  side  by  land,  the  communication  with  the  ocean 
easy  and  direct,  and  the  depth  sufficient  for  the  largest  ships;  although  in  a 
northern  latitude  (about  44°  N.,  or  some  140  miles  north  of  Boston),  it  is 
never  entirely  closed  by  ice,  even  in  the  coldest  weather." 

Simply  as  a  harbor,  we  doubt  if  there  is  in  the  world  a  finer  one  than  this 
of  Portland.  Not  improbably,  some  generations  hence,  Portland  may  come 
to  be  a  great  commercial  city,  being  the  natural  emporium  for  the  trade 
between  the  Old  World  and  that  vast  region  which  we  now  know  as  the 
"  Dominion  of  Canada."  But,  as  it  is,  the  growth  of  Portland  'vis  not  been 
a  rapid  one.  In  1830  its  population  was  12,000;  in  1840,  15,000;  in  1S50, 
20,000;  in  i860,  26,000  in  1870,  31,000;  in  1880,  34,000.  Its  population  in 
1889  was  estimated  to  be  about  40,000. 

From  Portland  there  is  ready  communciation  by  steamer  all  along  tlie 
Atlantic  coast  as  far  south  as  Boston,  and  as  far  north  as  Eastport,  on  the 
eastern  frontier  of  the  United  States,  where  it  abuts  on  the  Canadian  province 
of  New  Brunswick  and  looks  across  the  Bay  of  Fundy  to  the  Canadian  penin- 
sula of  Nova  Scotia,  which,  with  New  Brunswick,  would  at  the  present  time 
be  worth  more  to  us  than  all  the  rest  of  what  we  used  to  know  as  "  Upper  " 
and  "  Lower  "  Canada.  The  area  is  not  very  large,  being  about  equal  to  that 
of  the  State  of  New  York,  with  a  population  of  something  less  than  a  million 
— about  one-fifth  of  that  of  the  entire  Dominion  of  Canada. 

Our  next  point,  going  fro  ;  Portland,  is  Mount  Desert  Island,  just  off  the 
coast  of  Maine,  from  which   ;    is  separated  by  a  channel  a  mile  wide.     We 


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THE   GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OF   OUR   REPUBLIC. 


might  have  gone  thither  (that  is  to  a  point  on  the  neigl'-boring  mainland  op- 
posite the  island)  by  rail ;  but  we  have  decided  to  go  by  water.  Our  steamer 
(her  name  is  the  "City  of  Richmond  ")  leaves  Portland  about  midnight,  upon 
the  arrival  of  the  train  which  started  from  Boston  at  seven  in  the  morning, 
and  is  due  at  Bar  Harbor,  on  Mount  Desert,  at  noon  the  next  day.  As 
morning  breaks  we  find  ourselves  thriddincr  the  islets  which  stud  Penobscot 
Bay,  which,  says  Mr.  Xoah  Brooks,  "are  covered,  for  the  most  part,  with  fir, 
spruce,  and  larch.  The  shores  are  bold  and  rocky,  and  rich  tones  of  brown, 
gray,  and  purple  are  reflected  in  the  silver}-  tide."  As  tlie  sun  begins  to  ap- 
proach mid-heaven  we  see  ahead  of  us  the  summits  of  a  cluster  of  hills.  These 
are  the  precipices  of  Bar  Harbor  Head,  the  southernmost  point  of  the  island 
of  Mount  Desert,  surmounted  by  a  lighthouse. 

The  island  is  about  fifteen  miles  long  with  an  extreme  breadth  of  twelve 
miles,  and  has  a  resident  population  of  about  4,000.  It  embraces  seven  par- 
allel ranges  of  granite  mountains,  with  deep  and  narrow  valleys  between. 
The  loftiest  point  attains  an  altitude  of  nearly  i,8go  feet  above  its  base,  against 
which  break  the  long  Atlantic  swells.  This  is  the  highest  point  of  land  along 
the  entire  Atlantic  coast.  One  of  these  \allej-s,  which  is  cut  down  clear  to 
the  water's  edge,  almost  divides  the  island,  "  gi\'ing  it  the  shape  of  a  pair  of 
well-stuffed  saddle-bags."  The  norchern  extremity  of  the  island  consists 
mainly  of  irregular  foot-hills,  with  an  area  of  arable  land  along  the  shore, 
which  here  approaches  the  mainland  so  closel)-  that  the  interval  is  crossed  by 
a  bridge.  At  the  southwescern  extremits'  of  the  island  is  an  almost  level 
plateau.  Upon  the  southern  and  eastern  shores  the  mountains  come  sheer 
down  to  the  ocean,  often  without  a  yard  of  beach.  .Mount  Desert  is  growing 
year  by  year  more  and  mure  a  place  of  summer  resort.  At  present,  if  one 
wants  to  pass  a  few  weeks  in  a  manner  different  from  that  to  which  he  has 
been  accustomed,  this  is  the  place  for  him.  How  long  this  will  continue  to 
be  the  case  no  man  can  say:  most  likely  not  for  any  very  long  time. 

Even  now  one,  if  he  so  pleases,  can  live  at  Mount  Desert  very  much  as  he 
might  have  done  at  Newport  or  Coney  Island,  at  Saratoga  or  Cape  May,  or 
anj'where  else;  for  we  are  told,  upon  authority  of  a  little  Handbook  put  forth 
a  year  ago  by  the  "  Passenger  Department  of  the  Grand  Trunk  Railway," 
that  the  island  has  a  prosperous  community  engaged  in  cod  and  mackerel 
fishing,  and  has  some  twenty  excellent  hotels."  We  may  rest  assured  that 
the  Bar  Harbor  Bonifaces  catch  fatter  fish  on  shore  than  do  their  neighbors 
M'ho  fling  their  hooks  for  cod  and  mackerel  into  the  brinj-  deep.     Not  very 


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THE   GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OF   OUR    REPUBLIC: 


ii 


long  ago  Mr.  Charles  Dudley  Warner  gave  a  lively  picture  of  society  life  on 
Mount  Desert.     He  says: 

"  E-xcept  in  some  of  the  cottages  at  Bar  Harbor,  it  might  be  said  that 
society  was  on  a  '  lark.'  The  young  ladies  liked  to  appear  in  nautical  and 
lawn-tennis  toilets.  As  to  the  young  gentlemen,  if  tliere  were  any  dress-coats 
on  the  island,  they  took  pains  not  to  display  them,  but  delighted  in  appearing 
in  the  evening  promenade  in  the  nondescript  suits  that  made  them  so  con- 
spicuous in  the  morning — the  favorite  being  a  dress  erf  stripes,  with  a  striped 
jockey-cap  to  match.     ... 

"  But  the  principal  occupation  at  Bar  Harbor  was  out-door  exercise :  in- 
cessant activity  in  driving,  walking,  boating,  rowing  and  sailing,  bowling,  ten- 
nis, and  flirtation.  There  was  always  an  excursion  somewhere,  by  land  or 
sea;  watermelon  parties;  races  in  the  harbor,  in  which  the  girls  took  part; 
drives  on  buckboards,  which  they  organized.  Indeed,  the  canoe  and  the 
buckboard  were  in  constant  demand.  This  activity,  this  desire  to  row  and 
walk  and  drive,  and  to  become  acquainted,  was  all  due  to  the  air.  It  has  a 
peculiar  quality.  It  composes  the  nerves  to  sleep;  it  stimulates  to  unwonted 
exertion.  The  fanatics  of  the  place  say  that  the  fogs  are  not  damp  as  at 
other  resorts  on  the  coast.  Fashion  can  make  even  a  fog  dry.  But  the  air 
is  delicious.  In  this  latitude,  and  by  reason  of  the  hills,  the  atmosphere  is 
pure  and  elastic  and  stimulating,  and  .t  is  softened  by  the, presence  of  the  sea." 

Commenting  upon  the  foregoing  passage,  Mr.  Ernest  Ingersoll  says:  "  We 
came  to  know  (and  hereby  testify  to)  the  solemn  truth  of  all  that,  excepting 
perhaps  the  '  dry  fogs,'  of  which  we  heard  much,  but  saw  nothing,  though  it 
was  a  good  year  for  fogs." 

Let  us  admit,  causa  argiimcnti,  that  Mount  Dosert  may  be  ?.\\  Arcadia  for 
those  who  carry  such  a  thing  about  with  them ;  if  otherwise,  they  will  not 
find  it  on  the  New  England  Coast,  or  anywhere  else. 

For  a  few  sentences  more  we  must  stand  indebted  to  Mr.  Ernest  Ingersoll^ 
although  we  ciuote  with  very  much  condensation : 

"  Nowhere  in  America  are  lovelier  summer  houses.  The  island  is  almost 
engirdled  with  a  row  of  cottages,  great  and  small.  But  the  word  '  cottage ' 
ht>re  is  as  expansive  as  at  Newport  or  Saratoga.  The  rise  in  the  value  of  real 
estate  has  been  most  extraordinary.  A  lot  of  forty  acres  was  bought  in  1880 
for  $"  ^no,  which  has  since  paid  its  owner  $46,000.  Land  at  Bar  Harbor  is 
now  .  icip  \\i.  §25,000  an  acre,  and  for  some  $125,000  has  been  paid.  Desira- 
ble cottages  have  appreciated   in    ijroportion  :  one  small  one  was  pointed   out 


NATURAL   SCENERY  AND  CELEBRATED   RESORTS.        97 

as  having  gone  from  $3,000  to  $11,000  between  1882  and  1885.  The  people 
of  the  island  are  thriving  greatly  under  this  new  state  of  things,  so  that  Mount 
Desert,  from  being  one  of  the  most  forsaken,  hardest-working  and  poorest- 
living  corners  of  Yankee-land,  has  become  ©ne  of  the  most  prosperous  and 
easy." 


THE   WHITE    MOUNTAINS. 

HIS  remarkable  range,  called  by  enthusiastic  travellers  "The  Switz- 
erland of  America,"  and  known  to  the  Indians  as  Agiocochook, 
"The  Mountain  of  the  Snowy  Forehead  and  Home  of  the  Great 
Spirit,"  is  situated  in  Coos  and  Grafton  Counties,  N.  H.,  and  consists  of  a 
plateau  1,600  feet  above  sea  level  and  having  the  general  form  of  a  parallelo- 
gram, from  which  rise  several  clusters  of  peaks,  a  number  of  which  are 
among  the  highest  in  the  United  States  east  of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  It  is 
believed  that  the  first  white  man  who  visited  them  was  Walter  Neal,  who  left 
sufficient  records  to  establish  the  fact  that  he  was  at  least  partially  familiar 
with  the  region  as  early  as  1632.  Shortly  before  the  Revolutionary  war  an 
attempt  was  made  to  explore  it,  with  the  result  of  the  discovery  of  the  Notch, 
and  after  the  war  considerable  attention  was  turned  toward  it.  That  the 
wonders  of  the  locality  had  become  somewhat  known  and  appreciated  at  this 
period,  seems  evidenced  by  the  fact  that  a  shelter,  where  warmth,  food,  and 
liquors  could  be  obtained,  was  erected  in  1803.  The  summit  of  Mount  Wash- 
ington, the  higl.est  peak  in  the  eastern  cluster,  having  an  altitude  of  6,285  f^^^, 
A'as  rendered  accessible  by  a  bridle  path  in  1819,  and  by  1852  travel  had  grown 
to  an  extent  that  warranted  the  erection  of  a  hotel.  The  region  then  attained 
a  popularity  as  a  summer  mountain  resort  that  has  never  since  flagged  in  the 
least.  As  there  are  two  periods  in  the  year  when  the  grandeur  of  the  scenery 
is  presented  in  its  most  perfect  wealth  of  tinge  and  cloud-effects:  the  latter 
half  of  June  and  the  first  half  of  October;  it  has  become  a  favorite  custom 
with  tourists  and  summer  travellers  to  precede  or  supplement  a  season  at  the 
popular  springs  or  seaside  resorts  with  a  trip  to  the  White  Mountains.  The 
location  of  the  principal  attractions  is  such  that  they  may  be  reached  by  any 
one  of  half  a  dozen  or  more  routes  and  from  as  many  starting  points.  But  the 
course  most  generally  pursued  is  to  begin  the  ascent  at  North  Conway,  N.  H., 
near  Mount  Kearsarge,  which  belongs  to  the  southeastern  cluster.    The  village 


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THE   GkEAi    vVONDERLANLv^   OF   OUR   REPUBLIC 


overlooks  the  intervulr.  of  ':bc  Saco  River,  and  is  surrounded  on  all  sides  oy 
mountains.  East  o!  it  !s  ilic  Rattlesnake  Ridge  of  hills,  Middle  Mountain  top- 
ping them  all,  and  but  a  short  distance  northward  is  Mount  Kearsarge  or  Pe- 
quawket,  rising  to  a  height  of  3,367  feet.  To  the  westward  is  seen  the  cluster 
called  the  Moat  Mountains,  with  the  peak  of  Chocorua,  "The  Old  Bear,"  a 
mass  of  granite  with  but  little  vegetation,  3,358  feet  high,  in  the  distance.  The 
chief  attraction  of  the  place  k  the  magnificent  view  of  the  valley  of  the  Saco, 
where  the  great  dome  of  Mount  Washington,  changing  almost  hourly  in  ap- 
pearance, forms  an  impenetrable  curtain  across  the  vista.  In  the  immediate 
neighborhood  of  North  Conway  are  the  Artist's  Falls,  a  pretty  descent  of 


MOAT   MorNTAIN    KROM    NOR  1 H     CONWAY,    N.    II. 

V  .ter  in  the  midst  of  a  paten  of  forest;  Echo  Lake,  a  beautiful  sheet  of 
water  lying  at  ♦■he  foot  of  Moat  Mountains,  and  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
river;  the  Cathedral,  a  cavity  in  the  granite,  with  a  wall  eighty  feet  high, 
which,  inclining  outward,  forms  a  magnificent  arch  that  is  met  on  the  other 
side  by  a  wall  of  great  treer;;  the  White  Horse  displayed  upon  the  perpendi- 
cular sides  of  the  cliffs  that  extend  a  distance  of  four  or  fivv  miles  and  are 
from  lOO  tc  800  feet  high:  Diana's  Bath,  a  little  to  the  north  of  the  Cathe- 
dral, and  Mount  Kear.sarge,  the  highest  peak  south  of  the  mountains  in  this 
direction,  from  which  the  best  view  of  the  entire  White  Mountain  range  is 
obtained. 

While  the  spectacles  of  natural  grandeur  that  are  visible  at  every  turn  are 
thrillif/j^  and  awe-inspiring,  the  supreme  pleasure  of  a  trip  to  this  region  is  to 


.  1   M§ 
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NATURAL   SCE\..RY   AM)   (  ELL"  Ui?  ATP:} )    RESORTS. 


9^ 


bo  found  in  the  ascent  of  Mount  Wasliin<rt(,  i.  ]"-\e  bridle  patii  alluded  to 
v.ent  up  the  mountani  side  in  almost  a  straitr  it  line;  but  the  carriage-road, 
begun  in  1855,  completed  to  The  Lecir,  -fonr  uiil.s  from  the  base — in  1856, 
and  opened  for  travel  from  base  tc  »  i^pmit  i;  i86j,  winds  round  the  ledge 
and  up  the  mountain  side,  making  neaiy  double  the  distance.  In  1866  the 
construction  of  a  railroad  to  the  summit  was  begun,  and  three  years  after- 
ward  completed.  Of  these  routes  the  carriage-road  is  doubtless  the  most 
popular;  but  many  tourists  make  the  journey  of  eight  miles  at  least  one  way 
by  rail.  During  the  four  first  miles  of  the  carriage-road  trip,  but  little  is  seen 
s;ive  the  forest.  At  the  Ledge,  however,  the  vehicle  emerges  from  the  thick 
uoods,  and  the  first  glories  of  the  ascent  appear.  The  road  winds  between 
Mounts  Washington,  Clay,  and  Jefferson,  passes  eastward  at  the  Great  Gulf, 
and  then  rises  over  several  plateaus  till  it  reaches  the  level  ground  of  the 
summit.  By  making  the  ascent  by  way  of  the  old  bridle-path  the  tourist  will 
pass  over  the  tops  of  four  lower  summits  of  the  ridge  after  leaving  the  Nolch, 
each  one  a  little  higher  than  the  preceding,  and  from  the  Glen  directly  up 
Mount  Washington  itself.  On  the  right  is  an  enormous  ravine,  down  which 
a  singular  view  is  afforded  of  Mounts  Jefferson,  Adams,  and  M^'disou  from 
base  to  crown.  The  Glen  is  eight  miles  from  Gorham,  and  among  ihe  at- 
tractions of  its  vicinity  are  the  Imp,  a  jnak  of  the  Moriah  Mountain  whos( 
summit  resembles  a  grotesque  human  lace  from  a  distance;  Mount  Carter, 
3,000  feet  high  and  an  unbroken  mass  of  forest  tioni  base  to  crown;  the 
great  "Gulf  of  Mexico,"  acos  -  <-bo.  c  waters  fall  the  changing  shadows  of 
Mount  Clay  according  as  its  \\\  r  vcg\M\<,  are  clear  or  enveloped  with  clouds; 
the  pyramidal  peak  of  Mou^t  Adams,  the  grandest  of  all  in  shape  and  im- 
pressiveness ;  and  Mount  Madison.  The  remarkable  effect  which  this  ■scenery 
has  upon  the  imagination  will  b-.  ^.catly  intensified  when  it  is  known  or 
rememberei.  that  Mount  Wa; '^ington  is  6,285  feet  high.  Mount  Clay  5,400, 
Mount  Jefferson  5,700,  Mount  Adams  5,800,  and  Mount  Madison  5,361. 
Beside  these  peaks  there  are  in  the  vicinity  the  Garnet  Pools,  a  series  of 
basins  in  the  Peabody  River  near  the  Gorham  road,  exhibiting  many  curious 
phases  of  natural  rock  sculpture;  Thompson's  Falls  on  the  North  Conv, ay 
road,  and  two  miles  below  the  Glen  House,  a  series  of  charming  cascades  and 
water-slides;  Emerald  Pool;  the  (ilen  "'"I'is  Fall,  where  the  Ellis  River  shoots 
twenty  feet  over  the  cliff  and  then  f.Uis  .ixty  feet  into  a  dark-green  pool; 
Crystal  Cascade,  one  mile  from  Glen  Ellis  Fall  and  Miree  from  the  Glen 
House,  where  the  water,  part  of  which  comes  from  liie  very  dome  of  Mount 


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BOO       THE   GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OF   OUR    REPUBLIC: 

Washington,  has  a  fall  of  eighty  feet,  seen  to  the  best  advantage  from  tht 
high  bank  opposite  the  foot  of  the  fall;  and  Tuckerman's  Ravine,  whicl, 
carries  the  water  from  Mount  Washington  to  the  Crystal  Cascade,  an  enor 
mous  gulf  in  the  southerly  side  of  the  peak  with  walls  l,ooo  feet  high,  and 
containing  a  beautiful  snow  cavern  formed  by  a  spring  stream  flowing 
through  the  mass  of  snow  several  hundred  feet  deep  that  collects  there 
during  the  winter  season. 

From  the  village  of  Gorham,  N.  H.,  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  mountains, 
the  ascent  of  Mount  Washington  can  be  made  in  one  day  by  way  of  the  Glen 
House.  The  distance  from  Gorham  to  the  Notch  is  thirty-two  miles,  and 
the  Cherry  Mountain  road  abounds  in  pretty  spectacles.  The  beauties  of 
Mount  Moriah,  Mount  Carter,  and  the  Imp  are  here  seen  to  better  advantage 
than  elsewhere:  the  Pilot  range  of  mountains  rise  onthe  northwest;  while 
at  the  east  and  southeast  stand  the  Androscoggin  hills,  from  the  highest  of 
■which,  Mount  Hayes,  2.500  feet  high,  a  magnificent  view  is  obtained  of 
Mounts  Adams  and  Jefferson,  while  Washington  itself  from  this  point  seems 
invested  with  additional  grandeur.  Fronting  Mount  Hayes  is  Mount  Surprise, 
a  spur  of  Moriah,  1,200  feet  high,  whose  crown  is  easy  of  access  by  foot  or 
horse.  At  its  summit  there  is  no  obstruction  to  the  view  of  the  "  Presiden- 
tial '  mountains,  and  there  is  no  other  eminence  where  one  can  get  so  near 
those  monarchs  of  rock  and  forest  This  point  also  commands  a  grand  view 
of  the  great  cleft  between  Mount  Carter  and  the  White  Mountains,  through 
which  the  Peabody  Ri\er  flows,  as  the  summit  of  Mount  Willard  commands 
the  Notch  and  the  Saco  River.  A  capital  pedestrian  tour  for  those  who  can 
depend  upon  their  legs  may  be  made  from  the  Alpine  House  at  Gorham  by 
riding  to  the  base  of  Mount  Madison,  at  the  foot  of  Randolph  Hill,  then 
footing  it  up  Madison,  passing  over  its  summit,  continuing  around  or  over 
the  sharp  pyramid  of  Adams,  over  Jeflcrson  between  the  humps  of  Clay,  and 
thence  to  the  summit  of  Washington.  The  tramp  can  be  made  between 
sunrise  and  sunset.  Another  attraction  of  Gorham,  and  by  many  considered 
the  best,  is  Berlin  Falls,  si.x  miles  from  the  Alpine  House.  The  entire  scenery 
is  wild  and  noble.  The  Androscoggin  River  here  jxuirs  down  .1  rock}-  gate- 
way. The  mountains  seem  to  overhang  the  stream,  which,  having  the  ap- 
pearance of  a  long,  swift  rapid,  is  broken  here  and  there  l)\-  a  direct  and 
j)()werful  fall.  In  the  course  of  a  mile  the  river  descetuis  nearly  200  feet,  and 
as  the  road  winds  directly  by  the  river  the  entire  panorama  may  be  viewed 
without  the  effort  of  rock  climbing. 


NATU 

The  ascent 
House,  and  a 
(iver  the  sum 
Mount  Monrc 
now  usually  [ 
House,  the  T\ 
road  is  3,596 
The  rails  are 
centre  one  res 
llie  engine  fin 


face  of  the  Ol 
ster.  The  De 
profiles  of  the 
init  of  Mount 
ropes.  Proce- 
l^'lunie,  a  n.M 
rapidit\' ;  and 
Silver  Cascad 
ing.  Three  11 
Cataract,  con^ 
waterfall  in  tl 
several   minor 


NATURAL   SCMXERV   AND   CELEHRATEl)    RESORTS.      loi 

The  ;isccnt  of  Mount  Washinj^toii  may  also  be  made  from  the  Crawford 
House,  and  at  one  time  this  route  was  very  popular.  A  bridle-path  leads 
()\cr  the  summits  of  Mount  Clinton,  Mount  Pleasant,  Mount  Franklin,  and 
Mount  Monroe,  but  the  railroad  and  carriage-path  from  the  Glen  House  are 
,i.)\v  usually  preferred.  The  ascent  by  rail  may  be  made  from  the  Crawford 
1  louse,  the  Twin  Mountain  I  louse,  and  the  P'abyan  House.  The  grade  of  the 
road  is  3,596  feet  in  three  miles,  and  in  some  places  is  one  foot  in  every  three. 
The  rails  are  three  in  number,  bolted  to  a  heavy  trestlework  of  timber,  the 
centre  one  resembling  a  ladder,  between  whose  rounds  the  cogs  of  a  wheel  on 
tlie  engine  find  an  unfailing  purchase.     However  great  the  inclination  of  the 

cars  may  be,  the  seats  maintain  a 
uniforml)-  horizontal  position. 
Tile  ascent  is  made  in  an  hour 
and  a  half. 

The  Notrh.  the  gate  ii  which 
is  near  the  Crawford  House,  is  a 
great  gorge  in  the  mountains 
which  rise  on  either  side  to  a 
height  of  2,000  feet  At  the 
Gateway  these  mountains,  Web 
ster  on  the  right  ami  Wille)-  on 
tile  left,  are  only  twenty  two 
ieet  apart  Ethan's  Pond  lies 
l)lacidly  at  the  top  of  Willey 
Mountain,  and  the  great  stone 
face  of  the  Old  Maid  of  the  Mountain  peers  out  from  a  si)ur  of  Mount  Web 
ster.  The  Devil's  Pulpit  is  near  the  gate  of  thi;  Notcli.  and  close  by  are  the 
profiles  of  tlic  Infant  and  the  "S'oung  Man  of  the  IMountain,  Near  the  sum- 
mit (if  Mount  Willard  is  the  Devil's  Den,  a  cavern  accessible  by  means  of 
ropes.  Proceeding  a  short  distance  down  the  Notch,  the  tourist  meets  the 
Flume,  a  n.-i  row ,  deep  gorge  through  which  the  waters  rush  with  great 
rjipidit}- ;  and  the  most  beautiful  of  all  the  falls  on  this  side  the  mountain,  the 
Sih'er  Cascade,  wliicii  is  seen  to  admirable  advantajije  on  a  nioonliglit  e\en- 
ing.  Three  miles  beyond  the  Willey  Memorial  House  is  the  Sylvan  Glade 
Cataract,  consideretl  by  veteran  travellers  the  'nost  beautiful  ami  imjircssive 
waterfall  in  the  entire  range  of  mountains.  A  mile  above  the  cataract  are 
sc\'eral   minor  falls,  the  chief  of  which  is  the  Sparkling  Cascade.     The  fol- 


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THE   GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OF  OUR    REPUHLIC. 


)<    V 


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111 


lowinjj  is  the  name  ami  height  of  each  mountain  of  the  ranj^e,  in  its  oriU  i . 
beginning  at  the  Notch:  Mount  Webster,  4,000  feet ;  Mount  J.irkson,  4,101  , 
Mount  Chnton, 4,200;  Mount  Pleasant, 4,800;  Mount  Franklin, 4,900;  Mount 
Monroe,  5,400;  Mount  Washington,  6,285  ;  Mount  Clay,  5,400;  Mount  Jefferson, 

5,700;  Mount  Adam  , 
5,800;  and  Mount 
Madison,  5,400. 

The  F  ran  con  i, I 
Mountains,  though  to- 
tally distinct  and  \h- 
culiar,  are  usually  con 
sidered  a  part  of  tlu; 
White  Mountain 
range,  and  are  always 
visited  in  connectit)n 
with  it.  Two  roads 
lead  from  Bethlehem 
to  the  Notch  in  this 
range,  and  both  ex- 
tend over  a  high  hill, 
from  the  summit  of 
which  the  whole  of 
the  range  is  compre- 
hended in  front,  with 
the  head  of  Lafay- 
ette rising  above  theiVi 
all,  and  the  dark  jjor- 
tal  of  the  notch  aj)- 
pears  on  the  right. 
The  Profile  House  is 
in  the  immediate  vi- 
cinity (jf  Echo  Lake, 
a  sheet  of  water  of 
great  depth  and  transparency,  surrounded  by  green  hills,  and  navigable  by 
small  boats;  Cannon  Mountain,  or,  as  it  is  sometimes  called,  Profile  Mountain, 
receiving  its  first  name  from  the  resemblance  to  a  great  gun  which  a  rock 
upon  its  summit   exhibits,  and  the  second   from   the  great  stone  face,  or  Old 


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104      THE   CkKM    WONDKKLANDS   OF   OUR    RKrUHLlC: 

Man  of  the  Mountain,  that  appears  on  the  soutliern  extremity  of  its  crown; 
Ka^'le  Cliff,  a  hii^^e  columnar  crag,  separated  from  the  rest  of  the  mountaii;, 
and  rising  perpendicuhirly,  the  former  eyrie  of  a  family  of  eagles;  ]\i\\<', 
Mountain;  the  Cascade;  Profile  Lake,  known  also  as  Terrier's  Pond  and  thr 
Old  Man's  Washbowl;  and  Mount  Lafayette  i,200  feet  below  Mount  Wash 
ington  in  height.  Among  the  oth  r  attractions  of  the  Franconia  range  ari 
the  Basin,  a  granite  bowl,  sixty  feet  in  circumference  and  fifteen  feet  dee]i, 
into  which  the  waters  of  the  i^^;^■lgcwassct  River,  flowing  from  Profile  Lake, 
anil  passing  over  a  rocky  hdge,  fall;  the  Cascades  below  the  outlet  of  thr 
l^asin;  the  great  FMume,  where  the  walls  of  rock  approach  within  ten  feet  d 
each  other,  and  hold  in  their  unrelenting  embrace  about  midway  to  tin 
bottom  a  huge  granite  boulder  weighing  several  tons;  the  Cascade  below  it, 
the  Pool,  directly  in  front  of  the  hotel;  and  Georgianna,  or  Harvard,  F'alls, 
two  miles  below  the  F'lume  House,  where  the  water  i)lunges  over  the  preci 
])ice  in  two  leaps  of  eighty  feet  each. 

Another  great  curiosity  of  this  part  of  New  Hampshire  is  a  remarkabK 
pass,  some  sixty  miles  ncMth  of  the  White  Mountains,  and  narrower  than 
either  of  the  great  notches  of  the  White  Hills,  knf)wn  as  the  Dixville  Notch. 
About  half-way  through  the  notch  is  Table  Rock,  a  loft}-,  projecting  pinnacle, 
from  which  one  may  look  into  Maine,  Vermont,  and  Canada. 

To  fully  enjoy  the  marvellous  scenery  and  grand  monuments  of  nature  in 
the  White  Mountains,  at  least  two  weeks'  time  .should  be  allowed.  And  even 
with  that  and  a  constant  riding  and  tramping,  there  will  be  much  left  over  for 
a  second  season,  liut  whether  the  weird  region  is  visited  once  or  more  fre- 
quently, there  can  never  be  any  lessening  of  interest,  exhaustion  of  novelty, 
or  regret  at  the  expenditure  of  time,  money,  and  energy. 


THE   RANGELEY   LAKES. 

HE  Rangeley  Lakes,  often  called  the  Androscoggin  Lakes,  are 
principally  located  in  the  western  portion  of  the  State  of  Maine, 
but  about  one-half  of  the  lowest  lake  in  the  chain  is  situated  in 
New  Hampshire.  There  are  six  lakes  in  this  remarkable  series,  but  they  are 
all  connected  by  streams  and  form  a  continuous  water-course  for  almost  sixt\- 
miles.  For  the  most  part  they  lie  in  a  densely  wooded  region,  and  they  arc 
among  the  most  picturesque  sheets  of  water  to  be  found  in  the  country. 


NATURA 


V,  : 


NATURAL   SCENKKV    AM)   ("KLrjiRATFJ)    RI'.SORTS.       105 

'I  he  one  unfortunate  tliin;4  pertainin^f  to  thcni  is  the  character  of  tln'  iiaines 
which  tlicy  have  received.  They  are  known  as  the  Oiiuossoc  i tin;  original 
Kangeley),  Cupsuptic,  Mooschicmaf^untic,  Molechunkanuink,  \Velokeiuul)a- 
took,  and  Umba^o^.  The  latter  is  partly  in  New  Hampshire,  and  aloni;  its 
southern  shore  ajjricultural  operations  have  been  conniiencetk  In  tlie  valley 
of  the  Ma^^dloway  River,  one  of  the  connecting  streams,  and  afound  a  con- 
siilerable  portion  of  Oipiossoc  Lake,  there  are  also  a  j^ood  many  farms.  The 
lemainder  of  this  lar;4e  territory  remains  in  its  orifjjinal  condition  of  a  wilderness. 

While  the  ret^don  of  the  Ran^eley  Lakes  is  very  beautiful  and  will  prove 
attractive  to  all  lovers  of  Nature,  it  is  especiall}'  adapted  to  meet  the  wants  uf 
those  who  like  to  spentl  a  considerable  portion  of  tlieir  time  in  huntin;,;  and 
fishinij.  There  a/e  several  Ljood  hotels,  thou<jh  they  are  not  as  numerous  ;:s 
the)'  are  at  man)-  summer  resort!,  liut  for  i)arties  who  wish  to  "camp  out,"' 
hunt,  fish,  take  lon^  walks,  and  speml  m  st  of  their  time  in  the  open  air  it  is  a 
nia<^nificent  place.  It  is  one  of  the  very  best  sections  for  the  sportsman,  both 
.IS  regards  the  quality  of  the  game,  and  the  detjrce  of  success  atteniling  its 
pursuit.  Animals  of  various  kinds,  and  in  larjj;e  numbers,  are  found  in  the 
adjacent  mountains,  while  beautiful  trout  and  other  fine  varieties  of  fish 
abound  in  the  lakes.  During  the  last  of  June  and  the  first  half  of  July,  flies 
and  mosipiitoes  are  somewhat  troublesome,  but  by  proper  precautions  their 
att.n  ks  may  be  largely  prevented.  The  lakes  are  from  1,250  to  1,500  feet 
above  the  sea,  and  lie  among  high  mountains.  Consequently  the  air  is  cool, 
even  in  summer,  and  an  extra  supply  of  warm  clothing  is  indispensable  to 
the  comfort  of  the  tourist  who  takes  his  vacation  in  this  elevated  region. 

The  Rangeley  Lakes  are  easily  reached  by  the  Grand  Trunk  R;'.!Iroad. 
Portland,  ^L'une,  is  the  best  point  of  departure.  There  are  severad  tra.ins  per 
day,  which  are  met  at  Bethel,  about  sevent)-  miles  from  Portland,  b)-  stages 
which  make  the  trip  to  Cambridge,  New  Hampshire,  in  about  five  hours. 
This  town  is  located  at  the  foot  of  Lake  Umbagog.  The  route  is  through  a 
broken  country,  but  the  scenery,  including  the  valley  of  the  Androscoggin 
River  with  its  surrounding  mountains,  Mount  Washington,  and  quite  a  portion 
of  the  White  Mountain  Range,  is  extremely  beautiful  and  makes  the  trip,  in 
spite  of  minor  disadvantages,  one  of  the  finest  in  New  England.  From  this 
point  the  other  lakes  of  the  chain  are  easily  reached.  Steamers  ply  upon  the 
lakes,  and  upon  the  largest  rivers  in  the  vicinity,  and  boats  are  readily  ob- 
tained on  the  smaller  streams.  Where  water  communication  is  impossible, 
teams  are  supplied  by  a  local  transportation  company. 


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io6      THE   GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OF   OUR    REPUBLIC: 

The  tourist  who  enters  the  Rangeley  Lakes  region,  should  not  fail  to 
visit  the  Dixville  Notch,  which  is  in  the  western  portion  of  the  district  therein 
included.  This  notch  is  in  the  State  of  New  Hampshire,  and  sharply  dividi  s 
the  mountain  range  to  its  very  foundations.  The  ravine  is  a  mile  and  ; 
quarter  in  length,  and  much  narrower  than  the  celebrated  Franconia  Notch 
in  the  White  Mountains.  The  cliffs  rise  almost  perpendicularly  and  preset;: 
a  general  aspect  of  grandeur  combined  with  desolation  and  decay.  From 
Table  Rock,  which  rises  some  800  feet  above  the  road  and  which  is  only  about 
eight  feet  wide  at  the  top,  a  magnificent  view  may  be  obtained.  Points  in 
Maine,  New  Hampshire,  Vermont,  and  Canada,  are  easily  seen  from  this 
elevated  station.  The  mica-slate  of  which  the  cliffs  are  composed,  is  being 
rapidly  disintegrated  by  the  action  of  the  elements,  and  many  of  the  pinnacles 
of  rock  by  which  they  are  adorned,  are  being  destroyed.  The  road  through 
the  Notch  was  constructed  with  great  difficulty,  and  a  large  annual  outlay  is 
required  to  keep  it  in  repair.  Just  outside  the  Notch,  at  the  eastern  end, 
there  is  an  entire  change  of  scene.  Instead  of  the  rugged,  crumbling  walls  of 
the  desolate  chasm,  we  see  the  beautiful  and  luxuriant  verdure  of  a  meadow, 
through  which  flows  a  lovely  stream.  The  mountains  stand  around,  looking 
like  solemn  guards  to  keep  the  peaceful  vale  from  harm.  In  the  woods,  at 
only  a  little  distance  from  the  road,  there  is  also  a  series  of  cascades  which 
are  extremely  beautiful.  Many  other  objects  of  interest  will  be  found  by  the 
tourist  who  will  take  the  time  and  trouble  to  explore  this  attractive  region. 
A  hotel  in  the  vicinity  furnishes  excellent  accommodations  to  visitors,  and 
those  who  have  spent  some  time  here  seem  agreed  that  while  the  locality  is 
not  as  famous  as  some  of  the  White  Mountain  resorts,  its  attractions  are  un- 
surpassed by  those  of  its  more  widely-known  rivals. 


ALONG   THE  HUDSON. 

HE  Hudson,  or  North  River,  is  one  of  the  most  majestic  and  impor- 
tant of  North  American  streams.  It  rises  in  Essex  County,  New 
York,  in  the  Adirondac  Mountain  region,  about  3,000  feet  above 
the  level  of  the  sea.  After  a  devious  course  among  the  mountains  it  flows 
toward  the  east  until  it  reaches  Sandy  Hill.  Thence- it  continues  nearly  due 
south  for  190  miles,  when  it  empties  into  New  York  Bay.  It  is  formed,  in  the 
mountains,  by  the  union   of  two  small   streams  and  in   its  course   receives 


NATUR 

several  small 
larger  stream  t 
from  New  Yoi 
it  at  different 

The  Hudso 
h.ilf  its  course. 
rises  one  foot. 
i^ve  feet.  Lar 
boats  of  consi 
Beyond  this 
highest  point 

Between  F 
caused  by  shif 
these  obstacle; 
priations,  and 
000.    The  Un 
along  the  banV 
Above  the 
shores   is   bea 
rapids  in  the  r 
are  Glens  Fall 
900  feet  in  ler 
descent  of  fift; 
interest  to  a  n 
of  the  impor! 
Mohicans." 
popular  with 
entered  the  sc 
picturesque  ai 
Many  thoi 
yond  the  poir 
tains,  which  h 
from  the  Soul 
New  York  tc 
time  at  their 
places  and  a  1 
The  trip  ; 


NATURAL   SCENERY  AND   CELEBRATED   RESORTS.      lo; 

several  small  tributuries  before  it  reaches  Cohoes.  Here  the  Mohawk,  a 
larger  stream  than  the  Hudson  itself,  unites  with  it.  At  Kingston,  88  miles 
fiMn  New  York,  the  Wallkill  River  is  received  and  many  small  streams  join 
it  at  different  points. 

The  Hudson  River  is  300  miles  in  length,  and  is  a  tidal  stream  for  nearly 
h.ilf  its  course.  At  Albany,  145  miles  from  the  mouth  of  the  river,  the  tide 
rises  one  foot.  The  fall  in  the  bed  of  tl>e  river  in  this  long  distance  is  only 
five  feet.  Large  steamers  pass  as  far  as  Hudson,  1 16  miles  up  the  river,  and 
boats  of  considerable  size  are  able  to  reach  Troy,  six  miles  above  Albany. 
Beyond  this  place,  sloops  and  smaller  craft  pass  to  Cohoes,  which  is  the 
liighest  point  to  which  the  river  is  navigable. 

Between  Hudson  and  Albany  there  are  various  obstructions,  principally 
caused  by  shifting  sand,  which  interfere  with  rapid  navigation.  To  remove 
these  obstacles  the  State  of  New  York  has  at  various  times  made  large  appro- 
priations, and  the  United  States  government  has  expended  more  than  $1,500,- 
000.  The  United  States  also  has  erected  more  than  twenty  light-houses 
along  the  banks  of  the  river. 

Above  the  point  to  which  the  river  is  navigable,  the  scenery  along  the 
shores  is  beautiful,  and  in  many  places  romantic.  Theie  are  also  various 
rapids  in  the  river  and  near  Sandy  Hill,  about  fifty  miles  north  of  Albany, 
are  Glens  Falls,  which  are  well  worth  a  visit.  Here  is  a  deep  and  wild  ravine, 
900  feet  in  length,  through  which  the  river  rushes  over  a  rocky  bed  down  a 
descent  of  fifty  feet.  Not  only  is  it  a  picturesque  locality,  but  it  also  has  an 
interest  to  a  multitude  of  readers  from  the  fact  that  it  was  the  scene  of  some 
of  the  important  incidents  in  Cooper's  famous  novel,  "The  Last  of  the 
Mohicans."  The  place  has  been  well  fitted  up  as  a  summer  resort  and  is  quite 
popular  with  a  large  number  of  visitors.  As  the  region  of  the  Adirondacs  is 
entered  the  scenery  is  pleasantly  diversified  and  in  many  places  is  extremely 
picturesque  and  delightful. 

Many  thousands  of  tourists  who  take  a  trip  up  the  Hudson  do  not  go  be- 
yond the  point  which  gives  the  most  convenient  access  to  the  Catskill  Moun- 
tains, which  have  become  a  sort  of  Mecca  to  pilgrims  on  the  Hudson,  whether 
from  the  South  or  the  North.  Still,  large  numbers  wisely  extend  the  trip  from 
New  York  to  Troy.  Unfortunately,  many  of  these  tourists  have  but  little 
time  at  their  command  and  are  consequently  obliged  to  pass  many  interesting 
places  and  a  great  deal  of  beautiful  scenery  unnoticed. 

The  trip  along  the   Hudson  can  be  made  either  by  rail  or  by  boat-     If 


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made  by  daylight  the  latter  will  give  the  most  extensive  views.  Several 
steamers  leave  New  York  daily,  except  Sunday,  for  various  points  up  the 
river — some  of  them  going  as  far  as  Troy.  On  the  east  bank,  the  New- 
York  Central  and  Hudson  River  Railroad  runs  from  New  York  to  Albany, 
while  on  the  west  bank  the  West  Shore  Railroad  takes  passengers  to  thi; 
same  city. 

Passing  up  the  river  on  one  of  the  large  steamers,  said  to  be  the  finest 
and  the  fastest  which  ply  upon  American  inland  waters,  the  tourist  will  obtain 
excellent  views  of  New  York  City  and  harbor,  of  Jersey  City,  and  of  various 
suburbs.  Soon  the  Palisades  will  appear  on  the  western  shore.  This  re- 
markable line  of  precipices,  rising  from  300  to  500  feet  in  height,  is  composed 
of  trap  rod:  and  extends  for  a  distance  of  about  twenty  miles.  Upon  the 
summit  is  a  fine  growth  of  forest  trees.  Upon  this  lofty  height  may  be  seen 
Fort  Lee,  which  stands  upon  the  site  of  an  old  Revolutionary  fortification. 
Fifteen  miles  from  New  York,  on  the  east  side  of  the  river,  is  the  Convent  of  St. 
Vincent.  Two  miles  beyond,  on  the  same  side  of  the  river,  is  the  large  and 
growing  town  of  Yonkers.  At  the  end  of  the  Palisades  is  Piermont.  It  is 
on  the  western  shore,  and  is  a  terminus  of  a  branch  of  the  Erie  Railroad.  Its 
principal  feature  is  a  pier  a  mile  long,  which  runs  from  the  shore  to  a  point 
at  which  the  water  is  deep  enough  for  large  steamers.  About  three  miles 
distant  is  the  historic  town  of  Tappan,  at  which  Washington  at  one  time  had 
his  headquarters  and  which  was  the  place  of  execution  of  the  unfortunate 
Major  Andre. 

Beyond  Piermont  the  river  becomes  much  wider  and  assumes  the  form  of 
a  lake,  which  is  called  Tappan  Zee.  Its  extreme  width  is  about  four  miles 
and  its  length  is  nearly  ten  miles.  On  the  east  bank  of  this  broad  expanse 
of  water,  and  about  twenty-three  miles  from  New  York,  is  the  little  town  of 
Irvington.  This  place  derives  its  fame  from  the  fact  that  here  Washington 
Irving  spent  the  last  years  of  his  life.  His  little  cottage,  "  Sunnyside  "  still 
remains  and  is  "one  of  the  shrines  of  American  pilgrimage."  It  stands  upon 
the  bank  of  the  river,  but  the  surrounding  trees  and  shrubs  hide  it  from  the 
sight  of  parties  on  the  boat.  The  east  wrll  is  covered  with  ivy  which  has 
grown  from  slips  presented  by  Sir  Walter  Scott,  and  planted  by  Irving's  own 
hands.  A  short  distance  above  is  Tarrytown,  a  favorite  summer  resort.,  and 
famous  as  the  place  at  \.hich  M?;or  Andre  was  captured.  A  valley,  lying 
a  little  north  of  the  town,  through  which  flows  the  stream  known  as  Mill  River, 
is  the  original  of  the  Sleepy  Hollow  with  which  Irving  made  the  English-speak- 


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ing  world  acquainted.  The  stone  bridge  referred  to  in  the  story  of  Ichabod 
Crane  still  remains,  as  does  the  Dutch  church,  which  was  built  in  1699,  and 
which  is  the  oldest  building  in  the  State  used  for  religious  purposes.  In  the 
cemetery  belonging  to  this  church  and  located  in  Sleepy  Hollow  is  Irving's 
grave.  In  Christ  Church,  of  which  Irving  was  one  of  the  wardens  during  his 
last  years,  is  a  handsome  tablet,  which  has  been  placed  there  to  commemorate 
his  virtues,  and  perpetuate  his  fame. 

Opposite  Tarrytown  is  the  beautiful  town  of  Nyack,  which  is  principally 
built  on  the  river  bank,  but  has  many  fine  residences  on  the  wooded  hills 
which  lie  just  back  of  the  main  part  of  the  town,  and  rise  above  it  to  a  con- 
siderable height.  The  large  building  on  the  bluff  just  south  of  the  town  is 
known  in  winter  as  the  Rockland  Female  Institute,  but  in  the  summer  it  is 
used  as  a  boarding-house,  and  is  called  the  Tappan-Zee  House.  A  little 
farther  up  the  river  is  Rockland  Lake,  a  pretty  sheet  of  water  lying  among 
the  hills,  and  of  special  interest  to  the  inhabitants  of  New  York  City,  from 
the  fact  that  from  this  lake  a  large  part  of  their  ice  supply  is  obtained.  The 
lake  itself  is  not  seen  from  the  boat,  but  a  large  pier  from  which  the  ice  is 
loaded,  and  numerous  storehouses,  indicate  its  vicinity. 

Almost  directly  across  the  river  from  the  lake  is  Sing  Sing.  The  peculiar 
name  comes  from  an  Indian  word  signifying  a  "  stony  point."  The  town  is 
most  widely  known  as  being  the  seat  of  one  of  the  State  Prisons.  This  cele- 
brated institution  is  located  about  three-fourths  of  a  mile  south  of  the  village. 
The  main  building  is  nearly  500  feet  long,  is  five  stories  high,  and  "  accom- 
modates "  1,200  persons.  Instead  of  the  high  walls  by  which  prison  grounds 
are  usually  inclosed  the  place  is  guarded  by  armed  sentinels.  But  without 
regard  to  this  somewhat  exceptional  feature  of  a  popular  resort  the  town  is 
one  of  the  most  beautiful  in  the  country,  and  is  a  desirable  place  for  the 
tourist  to  visit.  It  is  built  on  sloping  ground,  some  of  the  streets  being  more 
than  200  feet  higher  than  others  which  run  parallel  with  them,  and  com- 
mands a  magnificent  view  of  the  Hudson  at  its  widest,  and  also  one  of  its 
most  beautiful  points.  Tappan  Zee  lies  spread  out  in  all  its  beauty  below, 
and  another  broad  expanse  of  the  river,  known  as  Haverstraw  Bay,  is  in  full 
view  ju.'y:  above.  Across  the  river  Mount  Taurn  rises  to  a  height  of  640  feet, 
Nyack,  Stony  Point,  and  several  other  villages  and  towns  are  easily  seen,  and 
numerous  other  features  add  to  the  general  attractiveness  of  the  landscape. 
The  Croton  aqueduct  is  also  an  interesting  point.  The  stone  arch  which 
supports  the  aqueduct  has  a  span  of  eighty-eight  feet  and  is  over  eighty  feet 


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NATURAL   SCENERY   AND  CELEBRATED   RESORTS.      iii 

above  the  water  of  the  Sing  Sing  Kill.  The  town  contains  several  important 
schools,  fine  church  edifices,  and  many  beautiful  residences. 

Four  miles  above  Sing  Sing,  Croton  Point  separates  the  Tappan  Zee  from 
the  similar  expansion  of  the  river  known  as  Haverstraw  Bay.  This  penin- 
sula, now  noted  for  its  splendid  vineyards,  was  formerly  known  as  Teller's 
Toint.  It  is  the  place  where  the  Vulture  was  to  remain  for  Major  Andre 
V  hile  he  negotiated  for  the  betrayal  of  West  Point  by  the  traitor  Arnold, 
but  from  which  position,  fortunately  for  the  colonists  and  the  cause  of  liberty, 
she  was  driven  by  a  few  zealous  patriots  with  an  old  iron  cannon  which 
carried  only  a  six-pound  ball.  Here  the  Croton  River,  from  which  the  water 
supply  of  New  York  City  is  obtained,  joins  the  Hudson.  A  dam  across  the 
stream,  six  miles  from  its  mouth,  converts  it  into  an  artificial  lake.  The 
dam  is  250  feet  long,  seventy  feet  thick  at  the  bottom,  and  forty  feet  high. 
From  this  lake  an  aqueduct  more  than  forty  miles  in  length  conducts  the 
water  to  the  city.  The  capacity  of  the  aqueduct  is  from  two  million  to  two 
and  one-half  million  gallons  of  water  per  hour.  The  lake  is  easily  reached 
by  team  from  Sing  Sing,  or  Croto  ,  and  attracts  many  visitors. 

On  the  western  shore  of  Haverstraw  Bay  is  the  town  of  Haverstraw. 
Here,  on  "  Treason  Hill "  stands  the  house  in  which  Major  Andr6  and  Bene- 
dict Arnold  arranged  the  terms  for  the  betrayal  of  West  Point.  This  house 
now  does  service  as  a  summer  boarding-hcuse.  On  the  shore  of  the  river 
there  are  valuable  banks  of  clay,  and  several  miles  of  brick  yards  in  which 
vast  numbers  of  bricks  of  the  finest  quality  are  made  every  season.  So  valu- 
able are  these  beds  of  clay  that  the  West  Shore  Railroad  follows  a  circuitous 
course  to  avoid  crossing  them.  In  the  neighborhood  of  Stony  Point  are 
some  limestone  cliffs  from  which  immense  quantities  of  lime  are  obtained. 
This  town  also  has  historical  associations,  having  been  the  scene  of  a  hard- 
fought  battle  during  the  Revolutionary  War.  The  fortifications  then  secured 
by  the  British  were  afterward  retaken  by  the  Americans  without  a  blow. 
A  lighthouse  now  stands  on  the  ground  formerly  occupied  by  the  magazine 
of  the  old  fort.  On  the  opposite  bank,  and  a  little  above  Stony  Point,  is 
Peekskill,  a  small  but  pretty  town,  located  on  the  steep  hill  which  rises  from 
the  river.  It  received  its  name  from  Jan  Peek,  a  Dutch  explorer,  who  settled 
here,  in  1764.  For  a  while  during  the  Revolution,  General  Putnam  had  his 
headquarters  here  and  Washington  also  remained  here  a  short  time.  To  the 
present  generation  it  became  somewhat  noted  as  the  summer  home  of  the 
late  Henry  Ward  Beecher.     East  of  the  town,  and  some  900  feet  above  the 


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THE  GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OE   OUR    KErUBLlC.        113 

liver,  is  Lake  Mohcnsick.  Tiic  distance  is  about  six  miles,  through  a 
jiicturesquc  region.  The  hike  is  a  beautiful  sheet  of  water,  and  the  scenery 
ill  the  vicinity  is  delifjhtful.  Nearly  opposite  Pcekskill  lies  Dunderberg 
Mountain,  the  first  peak  of  the  celebrated  Highlands  reached  in  the  journey 
from  New  York. 

From  this  point,  for  a  distance  of  fifteen  or  twenty  miles  through  the 
Highland  region,  the  scenery  is  magnificent.     Its  beauty  gives  the  Hudson  a 


NORTHKRN    HNTRANCK   TO   THE   HIDSON    HKilllANOS. 

valid  claim  to  the  title  of  "  The  Rhine  of  America,"  and   fully  justifies   the 
claim  that  it  is  unsurpassed  by  any  river-scenery  in  the  world. 

In  the  midst  of  the  Highland  region  is  the  famous  Military  Academy  at 
West  Poir.t.  This  t^wn  is  on  the  west  side  of  the  river,  on  a  plateau  some 
160  feet  above  the  bank,  with  still  more  elevated  points  lying  at  but  little 
distaoce  to  the  west.  On  account  of  the  school,  the  historic  association  of 
the  locality,  and  the  magnificent  views  which  it  presents.  West  Point  is  one 
of  the  most  noted  resorts  in  the  State.  Some  of  the  buildings  are  very  fine 
specimens  of  architecture,  and  have  many  interesting  features  and  associa- 
tions. The  Museum  contains  a  large  collection  of  relics,  models,  trophies  of 
the  various  wars   in   w'lich   the   country  has  engaged,  and   numerous  other 


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114      Tm<:   GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OF  OUR    REPUBLIC. 

articles  of  intcicftt.  From  the  ruins  of  Fort  Putnam,  of  Revolutionary  fame, 
a  splendid  view  may  be  obtained.  There  are  many  beautiful  walks  and 
drives  in  the  vicinity  and  large  and  fine  hotels  furnish  ample  accommoda- 
tions for  visitors.  In  the  rivcr,  a  little  distance  above  the  town,  is  Constitu- 
tion Island,  on  which  Elizabeth  Wetherell  (Miss  Susan  Warner),  author  of 
"  The  W^ide,  Wide  World,"  "  Queechy,"  and  other  famous  novels,  had  her 
home  for  many  years  with  her  younger  sister,  Anna,  who  wrote  many  popu- 
lar stories  under  the  name  of  Amy  Lathrope. 

Cornwall,  a  small  but  beautiful  town  on  the  west  bank  of  the  river,  is 
probably  the  most  popular  of  all  the  summer  resorts  on  the  Hudson.  Here 
are  many  beautiful  and  fruitful  vineyards  and  delightful  scenes  open  tn  the 
eye  in  every  direction.  From  this  point  Storm  King,  the  last  and  one  of  the 
highest  peaks  of  the  Highlands,  can  be  reached.  From  the  summit,  1,529 
leet  above  the  sea,  a  wide  and  magnificent  view  is  obtained.  In  the  village 
are  several  large  and  well-kept  hotels.  The  place  is  of  interest  to  people 
with  literary  tastes  from  the  fact  that  Idlewild,  the  home  of  the  late  N.  P. 
Willis,  is  on  one  of  its  beautiful  elevations.  Here,  too,  the  late  Rev.  E.  P. 
Roe  wrote  r.early  all  of  his  wonderfully  successful  novels,  and  also  gave  an 
impetus  to  the  business  of  small  fruit  culture  which  has  been  of  immense 
benefit  to  all  the  region  around  as  well  as  an  indirect  advantage  to  the  country 
at  large.  Four  miles  above  Cornwall,  and  nearly  sixty  miles  from  New 
York,  is  the  historic  city  of  Newburg.  It  is  located  on  a  slope  rising  some 
300  feet  above  the  river,  has  about  18,000  inhabitants,  is  beautiful  in  itself 
and  commands  fine  views  of  other  localities.  The  old  stone  house  in  which 
Washington  for  a  time  had  his  headquarters  in  the  War  for  Independence 
still  remains,  and  is  now  owned  by  the  State.  This  house  was  built  in  1750 
and  contains  a  large  number  of  interesting  relics.  It  is  freely  opened  to  the 
public.  From  this  place  the  proclamation  disbanding  the  army  was  issueil, 
and  at  a  little  distance  is  a  monument  erected  jointly  by  the  United  States 
and  the  State  of  New  York  to  commemorate  the  successful  termination  of 
the  Revolution.  Immediately  across  the  river  is  F'ishkill.  Immense  ferry 
boats,  each  large  enough  to  take  a  full  train  of  cars  at  a  trip,  ply  between 
the  two  places.  Here  the  W^est  Shore  road  connects  with  the  New  York  and 
New  England  Railroad,  which  has  its  western  terminus  at  Fishkill.  This  gives 
a  through  line  to  Boston  by  way  of  Hartford,  and  passes  through  several  im 
portant  manufacturing  centres. 

Abov^  Newburg  the  scenery  Is  charming,  but  presents  no  very  imposing 


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KKWBURGII,    N.    Y.',    8CENK8. 


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irr.      TIIL  GKKAT  WONDI^RLANDS  OF  OUR    RIU'UHLIC: 


features.  The  rc^jioii  is  celebrated  for  tlie  immense  (jiiantity  and  excellei  ' 
quality,  as  well  as  for  the  jjreat  variety  of  fruit  which  it  produces  every  yea  . 
At  i*out,'hkeei)sie,  seventy-five  miles  from  New  York,  there  are  lar^e  mam 
facturin^f  and  commercial  interests.  The  plain  on  which  the  city  is  built  risi  . 
some  200  feet  aho\'-  the  river,  with  a  ran^'e  of  high  hills  in  the  rear.  TIin 
elevated  and  protected  location  renders  the  name,  derived  from  an  Indiai, 
word  meaning  "  a  safe  and  pleasant  place,"  singularly  appropriate.  In  earl) 
times  considerable  latitude  was  allowed  in  the  manner  of  spelling  the  nanu. 
It  is  asserted  that  in  existing  records  it  is  spelled  in  forty-two  different  ways. 
The  city  is  noted  for  its  educational  intetests.  Vassar  College,  the  largest 
among  the  female  colleges  of  the  countr)-,  is  on  a  beautiful  and  elevated  site 
about  two  miles  east  of  the  city  and  attracts  large  numbers  of  visitors  as  well 
as  students.  There  are  half  a  ilo/eii  other  impoftant  institutions  of  learniiiL; 
and  many  fine  i)ublic  and  private  buiklings.  A  little  north  of  the  city  aii 
the  large  buildings  of  the  State  Lunatic  As)'lum.  The  great  railroad  bridgi' 
across  the  Hudson,  which  connects  New  England  with  t!ie  coal  regions  of 
Pennsylvania,  is  well  worth)'  a  visit.  Including  the  appro.Aches,  it  is  about 
one  ;ind  one-thirti  miles  in  length.  In  its  construction  about  1  5,cxdo  tons  of 
steel  and  more  than  6.000  tons  of  iron  were  used.  It  is  built  in  the  cantilever 
style  antl  its  construction  is  one  of  the  great  engineering  feats  of  the  age. 
The  end  spans  and  the  centre  span  give  a  clear  space  to  the  water  of  160  feet, 
while  the  others  rise  130  feet  above  the  surface.  From  the  water  to  the  top  of 
the  rail  is  212  feet.  This  bridge  is  one  of  the  finest  and  strongest  ever  built. 
Across  the  river  from  Poughkeepsie  is  New  I'altz  Landing.  It  is  reached 
by  a  ferry,  and  from  it  a  line  of  stages  runs  to  the  beautiful  Lake  Mohonk, 
in  the  Wallkill  Valley  region.  Passengers  on  the  West  Shore  Railroad,  01 
on  the  Erie,  going  up  the  west  bank  of  the  river,  reach  New  Paltz  by  rail  and 
from  thence  go  to  the  lake  by  stage  or  private  conveyance.  Kingston,  88 
miles  from  New  York,  is  an  interesting  place,  and  is  also  a  favorite  point  of 
departure  for  the  Catskill  Mountain  region.  Directly  oj)posite  is  Rhinebeck 
Landing,  Here  may  be  seen  the  Beektnan  House,  erected  nearly  200  years 
ago  and  said  to  be  the  most  perfect  specimen  of  the  old-fashioned  Dutch 
homSstead  now  remaining  in  the  Hudson  River  Valley.  Catskill,  no  miles 
above  New  York,  on  the  west  side  of  the  river,  is  a  famous  summer  resort  as 
well  as  a  point  from  which  passengers  leave  for  the  Catskill  Mountains. 
Hudson,  a  few  miles  further  up  the  river,  and  on  the  cast  bank,  is  built  upon 
a  rocky  cliff  and  extends  up  the  slope  of  the  hill  to  a  point  500  feet  above  the 


NATURAL   SCKNICRV   AND   CICLKHRATKl)    RKSORTS.      117 

river.  From  the  hit;l>  ^'rouiul  spktulid  views  of  the  Catskill  and  otiicr  moun- 
lains  may  be  obtaiiicii.  I*'ivc  miles  away,  in  the  Chiverack  V'allcy,  is  the 
(|iiict  and  pleasant  resort  known  as  Cokimbia  Sprinjjs.  There  is  a  beautiful 
lake  near  by  offering  excellent  opportunities  for  boating'  and  fishing'.  Not 
f.ir  tlistant  are  the  Claverack  Falls,  where  the  water  passes  over  a  precipice 
ninety  feet  hij;h,  and  the  scenery  jjresents  many  picturescpie  featun.-s. 


VIEW   OK   THE  TIRK  S    I'.Vl  E   UN   TllK    UIDSON. 


At  Albany  the  visitor  finds  one  of  the  oldest  settlements  by  Europeans  in 
the  United  States.  It  has  been  an  incorporated  city  more  than  200  years, 
and  the  permanent  capital  of  the  State  for  more  than  ninety  years.  It  is  lo- 
cated on  the  west  bank  of  the  Hudson  and  extends  for  more  than  three  miles 
and  a  half  along  the  river.  The  ground  is  very  low  along  the  shore,  but 
gradually  rises  until  it  reaches  a  tableland  150  feet  high  a  few  miles  west,  thus 
giving,  when  viewed  from  the  east,  a  splendid  presentation  of  its  public  and 


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ii8       THE  GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OF  OUR    REPUBLIC. 

private  buildings.  Of  the  many  objects  of  interest  the  new  Capitol  buildinj; 
easily  holds  the  first  rank.  This  enormous  structure  will  cost,  when  com 
pleted,  about  $20,000,000.  More  than  $.2,000,000  were  required  to  complete 
the  foundations  and  the  walls  of  the  basement.  The  building  is  390  feet 
long,  290  feet  wide,  and  four  stori..i  high.  The  corner  stone  was  laid  in 
1871.  With  the  e.xception  of  the  National  Capitol  at  Washington,  this  is 
considered  the  finest  public  building  in  the  country. 

It  is  an  interesting  fact  that  on  the  banks  of  the  Hudson  that  curious  relic 
of  the  Middle  Ages  known  as  the  Feudal  System  was  established  soon  after 
the  settlement  of  this  nominally  free  country  and  continued  in  existence  for 
a  long  period.  Large  tracts  of  land  were  granted  to  various  partie.>5,  who 
were  known  as  patroons.  In  the  vicinity  of  Albany  a  grant  of  a  tract  of  land, 
twenty-four  miles  square  on  both  sides  of  the  Hudson  was  made  to  the  Van 
Rensselaer  family  in  1629.  The  lands  thus  obtained  were  leased  by  the  patroons 
to  settlers,  who  paid  them  a  certain  fixed  rental  each  year,  either  in  cash  or 
in  the  products  of  the  soil.  The  system,  though  nominally  done  away  in 
1787,  was  not  entirely  abandoned  until  after  the  political  party  known  as  the 
Anti-renters,  in  1846,  secured  the  insertion  of  a  clause  in  the  State  Constitu- 
tion abolishing  feudal  rights  and  tenures  and  prohibiting  the  leasing  of  land 
for  farming  purposes  for  a  longer  term  than  twelve  years.  The  old  manor- 
house  of  the  Van  Rensselaer  family  is  still  standing  and  there  are  various 
other  buildings  in  the  older  part  of  the  city  which  have  an  interest  to  the 
tourist  as  well  as  to  the  antiquarian  and  the  historian. 

.A.t  Troy,  the  final  landing  place  of  the  boat  and  the  last  point  to  visit  on 
the  trip,  the  tourist  will  find  various  educational  institutions,  many  beautiful 
buildings,  and  several  large  manufactories.  But  the  chief  point  of  interest 
will  be  Oakwood  Cemetery,  and  a  visit  thereto  will  be  well  repaid.  This 
Cemeterv  is  located  on  high  land,  from  which  may  be  obtained  a  splendid 
view  of  the  Mohawk  Valley  and  cf  the  falls  at  Cohoes.  Within  the  inclosure 
are  the  graves  01  two  Major-Generals  of  the  United  States  army — George  H. 
Thcmas  and  John  E.  Wool.  The  obelisk  erected  as  a  monument  to  General 
Wool  is  seventy -five  feet  high  and  is  said  to  be  the  largest  stone  taken  out 
of  a  quarry  during  the  last  \.ooo  years. 


'"■ill 


THE  ADIRONDACS. 

HE  Adirondac  region  lies  in  the  rtheastern  corner  of  the  State 
of  New  York.  Thirty  years  ago  it  was  almost  entirely  unknown. 
At  the  present  time,  although  mainly  a  wilderness,  it  is  a  very 
popular  summer  resort.  It  is  a  vast  plateau  extending  from  the  St.  Lawrence 
River  on  the  northwest  nearly  to  the  Mohawk  River  on  the  south,  and  to 
Lake  George  and  I  nke  Champlain  on  the  east,  and  lying  about  2,000  feet 
above  the  level  of  the  sea.  It  is  crossed  from  southwest  to  northeast  by  five 
ranges  of  mountains.  Several  of  the  peaks  are  about  5,000  feet  in  height  and 
Mount  Marcy  reaches  an  altitude  of  5,370  feet.  Though  there  are  peaks  in 
New  Hampshire  and  in  North  Carolina  which  rise  to  a  greater  height,  the 
general  elevation  of  the  Adirondacs  is  greater  than  that  of  any  chain  east  of 
the  Rocky  Mountains. 

These  mountains  form  the  watershed  between  the  St.  Lawrence  River  and 
the  Hudson  and  Mohawk  Rivers.  Among  them,  at  an  elevation  of  about 
3,000  feet,  the  Hudson  has  its  rise.  At  only  a  short  distance  from  this  point, 
which  is  in  the  Indian  Pass,  one  of  the  wildest  portions  of  the  region  and  to  a 
great  extent  still  unexplored,  are  the  springs  of  the  Ausable  River,  which 
flows  into  Lake  Champlain.  Though  starting  close  together,  the  waters  of 
these  rivers  are  hundreds  of  miles  apart  when  they  reach  the  Atlantic  Ocean. 
The  most  beautiful  river  in  the  region  is  the  Raquette,  rising  in  Raquette 
Lake  and  flowing  a  distance  of  120  miles  until  it  reaches  the  St.  Lawrence. 

In  this  region  there  are  said  to  be  more  than  500  mountains.  Only  a 
small  portion  of  them  have  yet  been  named.  E.xcept  at  the  summits  of  those 
which  rise  above  the  timber  line,  these  mountains  are  covered  with  heavy 
forests.  On  the  lower  lands  there  is  also  a  dense  growth  of  trees,  largely 
evergreens,  which  at  many  points  are  almost  impenetrable.  In  the  woods, 
and  especially  upon  the  mountains,  various  kinds  of  game  abound.  There 
are  some  ferocious  animals  as  well  as  deer  and  several  fur-bearing  animals. 

The  number  of  lakes  and  ponds  in  the  Adirondacs  which  have  received 
names  and  been  definitely  located  exceeds  1,000.  They  vary  in  e.xtent  from 
an  area  of  a  fevv  acres  to  a  length  of  twenty  miles.  The  general  elevation  of 
these  lakes  is  some  1,500  feet  above  the  sea  level,  but  many  of  them  are  much 
higher,  and  at  least  one,  Lake  Perkins,  lies  at  an  altitude  of  over  4,000  feet. 


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120      THE  GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OF   OUR   REPUBLIC. 


The  shores  of  these  hikes  are  covered  with  rank  grass  and  aquatic  phmts  and 
tlieir  waters  are  liberally  stocked  with  fish  of  good  size  and  fine  varieties. 
The  largest  lakes  are  the  Saranac,  Raquette  Schroon  Lake,  Blue  Mountain 
Lake,  Long  Lake,  Lake  Placid,  Tupper  Lake,  and  the  chain  of  Eulton  Lakes. 

Travelling  throughout  the  region  is  largely  done  by  means  of  small  boats. 
The  lakes  are  connected  by  rivers  and  small  streams.  A  guide  is  needed  for 
the  double  purpose  of  leading  the  way  and  carrying  the  boat  where  sailing  is 
impracticable.  Camps  will  be  found  at  various  points  and  in  the  most  fre 
quented  sections  hotels  have  been  erected.  Within  a  few  years  railroads 
have  been  constructed  and  stage  lines  established,  and  it  is  now  compara- 
tively easy  to  reach  the  most  popular  portions  of  the  region.  The  Adirondac 
Railroad  from  Saratoga  to  North  Creek  leads  directly  into  the  district.  The 
Chateaugay  Railroad  from  Plattsburg,  lying  on  Lake  Champlain,  reached 
from  New  York  by  the  Delaware  and  Hudson  Canal  Company  Railroad,  runs 
to  Saranac  Lake.  From  Boston  the  tourist  reaches  Burlington  by  the  Ver- 
mont Central  Railroad  and  crosses  the  lake  by  a  steamer  to  Plattsburg. 

The  general  aspect  of  the  Adirondac  region  is  said  to  closely  resemble 
that  of  the  Highlands  of  Scotland  and  the  more  elevated  regions  of  Switzer- 
land before  they  were  settled.  There  are  areas  of  considerable  extent  which 
no  white  man  has  ever  trave..  jd  and  in  which  "  untamed  nature  in  all  its 
purity  "  holds  undisputed  sway.  Throughout  the  vvhole  region  the  scenery  is 
wild  and  romantic  and  we  can  easily  believe  the  assertion  of  experienced 
travellers  that  it  has  "  no  parallel  in  the  world." 


THE    REGION    OF   THE   CATSKILLS. 

HOUGH  somewhat  separated  from  the  main  line,  the  Catskills  be- 
long to  the  great  Appalachian  range  of  mountains,  which  extend, 
in  a  southwesterly  direction  some  1,300  miles  from  the  Gulf  of  St. 
Lawrence  to  the  State  of  Alabama,  and  which  throughout  their  entire  course 
are  but  a  comparatively  short  distance  from  the  Atlantic  coast.  The  Cats 
kills  lie  principally  in  Greene  County,  N.  V.,  rising  from  a  plain  about  ten 
miles  wide  on   the  west   bunk  of  the   Hudson   River. 

One  of  the  principal  points,  and  for  many  years  the  only  place  of  departure 
for  the  interior  of  the  mountain  region,  is  Catskill,  1 10  miles  from  New  York 
City,    and    itself   a  famous  summer  resort.     Situated  on   the  west   bank  of 


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122       THE  GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OF   OUR   REPUBLIC; 


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the  river,  at  the  mouth  of  Catskill  Creek,  it  long  ago  became  known  as  the 
"Gem  of  the  Hudson,"  and  although  many  new  rivals  have  been  brought 
to  public  notice  it  still  maintains  its  popularity.  The  beautiful  and  varied 
scenery,  the  plains  and  cliffs,  the  forests  interspersed  with  cultivated  fields, 
the  mountain-brooks  and  the  quiet  glens,  combine  to  make  it  a  place  for 
rest  and  peace.  In  this  town  Thomas  Cole,  the  famous  painter,  lived  for 
many  years,  and  here,  in  1848,  he  died.  It  was  while  residing  here  that  the 
two  series  of  his  celebrated  allegorical  pictures  entitled  "  The  Voyage  of 
Life,"  and  "  The  Course  of  Empire,"  were  painted.  While  Catskill  is  a 
most  attractive  place,  and  in  some  portions  very  quiet,  the  town  is  also 
quite  a  business  centre,  a  fact  which  makes  it  a  favorite  resort  of  city  people 
•who  desire  to  find  rest  and  refreshment,  but  who  also  wish  to  remain  in 
close  connection  with  the  active  affairs  of  the  world.  It  is  a  point  from 
which  either  the  mountains  or  the  city  can  be  very  easily  and  quickly  reached. 
The  opening  of  new  railroads  has  made  it  easy  to  reach  the  resorts  in  the 
Catskills  from  Kingston,  also  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Hudson  River.  This 
city,  eighty-eight  miles  from  New  York,  is  readily  reached  from  that  point 
by  the  West  Shore  Railroad  on  the  west  side  of  the  river;  by  the  New  York 
Central  and  Hudsoil  River  Railroad  on  the  east  side,  connecting  at  Rhinebeck 
with  Rondout,  a  suburb  of  Kingston,  by  a  steam  ferry;  or  by  steamer  up 
the  Hudson.  Kingston  was  settled  by  the  English  in  1614.  Here  the  State 
Constitution  was  adopted  and  the  first  Legislature  of  the  State  of  New  York 
was  convened.  The  old  house  in  which  the  Constitution  was  written  is  still 
standing.  In  1872  the  villages  of  Rondout  and  Wilbur  were  incorporated 
with  Kingston  as  a  city.  Here  the  Delaware  and  Hudson  Canal  has  its 
eastern  terminus.  Through  this  canal  1,500,000  tons  of  coal  are  brought 
every  year.  From  this  port  enormous  quantities  of  blue  flagging  stones  for 
paving  the  sidewalks  of  New  York  City  arc  annually  shipped  and  here  is 
located  the  largest  cement  manufactory  in  the  United  States.  Rondout 
Creek,  about  a  mile  south  of  Kingston,  is  crossed  by  trains  on  the  West  Shore 
Railroad  by  means  of  a  bridge  a  fourth  of  a  mile  long  aiid  195  feet  above  the 
water.  Just  beyond  the  bridge  the  train  passes  through  a  tunnel  400  feet  in 
length.  From  this  point  it  is  only  a  short  distance  to  the.  fine  Union  Depot, 
built  in  the  Queen  Anne  style,  which  is  used  by  the  West  Shore,  the  Wallkill 
Valley,  and  the  Ulster  and  Delaware  railroads.  It  is  at  Kingston  that  the 
traveller  passing  up  the  Hudson  by  the  West  Shore  Railroad  gains  his  first 
clear  view  of  the  Catskills.     Leaving  this  ancient  town  by  the  Ulster  and 


NATURAL  SCENERY  AND   CELEBRATED   RESORTS.      123 

Delaware  Railroad  he  can  pass  to  the  very  centre  of  the  mountain  region, 
where  the  breezes  are  fresh  and  cool,  and  the  most  beautiful  scenery  greets 
the  eye  in  whatever  direction  it  may  be  turned. 

From  time  immemorial  the  Catskills  have  been  famed  for  their  beauty  and 
grandeur.  Before  the  advent  of  the  white  man  the  Indian  rejoiced  to  gaze 
upon  their  massive  forms  and  feast  his  eye  upon  their  wondrous  beauty.  He 
imagined  thit  in  this  glorious  region  was  the  home  of  the  Great  Spirit  who 
ruled  the  Universe,  and  he  looked  with  awe  upon  the  peaks  which  to  his  un- 
taught mind  were  the  visible  dwelling  place  of  a  Being  who  was  clothed  with 
the  glory  and  mystery  of  a  mighty  power  of  which  he  saw  many  evidences, 
but  which  he  could  in  no-wise  comprehend.  To  him  they  were  the  "  blissful 
regions,"  the  land  of  rest  and  peace.  The  early  Dutch  settlers  also  had  a 
certain  degree  of  superstitious  reverence  for  this  locality.  They  imagined 
that  from  the  beautiful  heights  the  soul  of  Henry  Hudson  watched  with  joy 
and  pride  the  ceaseless  flow  of  the  magnificent  river  which  he  discovered  and 
which  bears  his  honored  name.  And  when  Washington  Irving,  the  first  and 
foremost  of  the  great  American  writers  of  fiction,  wove  the  various  legends 
of  the  section  into  his  charming  tales,  he  attracted  the  attention  of  the  Eng- 
lish-speaking world  to  the  manifold  beauties  of  the  region  and  gave  to  the 
Catskills,  as  well  as  received  for  himself,  a  deserved  and  an  enduring  fame. 

The  proximity  of  the  region  to  New  York,  and  the  ease  with  which  it  can 
be  reached  from  the  principal  points  in  the  Eastern  and  Central  States,  unite 
with  its  wonderful  natural  attractions  to  make  it  a  favorite  summer  resort  for 
multitudes  of  the  residents  of  these  sections.  Yet,  while  close  to  the  great 
centres  of  civilization  and  easily  reached  by  parties  who  need  rest  as  well  as 
recreation,  the  Catskill  region  to  a  great  extent  maintains  its  primitive  simplic- 
ity. Large  hotels  are  numerous,  boarding  houses  abound,  many  beautiful 
private  residences  have  been  erected,  and  there  are  various  centres  of  business 
life  and  activity.  But  close  to  these  are  quiet  walks  and  silvery  streams, 
the  beautiful  trees  and  the  towering  mountain  peaks,  and  the  peace  and  quiet 
of  nature  unchanged  by  man.  The  mountain  roads  pass  through  a  wonder- 
ful variety  of  scenery  and  at  many  points  seem  to  bring  the  traveller  to  a 
"  fairy  land."  Those  who  long  for  the  life  and  gayety  of  fashion  will  find  a" 
they  desire  at  the  large  hotels,  while  those  in  search  of  rest  can  readily  find 
quiet  and  peaceful  homes.  There  is  room  enough  for  all  and  nature  spreads 
her  beauties  and  her  glories  with  a  lavish  hand  for  all  who  come. 

Though  none  of  the  mountains  rise  to  a  great  height,  the  views  from  many 


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124       THE  GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OF   OUR    REPUBLIC. 

of  the  peaks  are  really  iriajjnificeiit.     Not  only  is  the  adjacent  region  spread 
out  to  view,  but  far  outlying  localities  can  be  plainly  seen.    From  some  points 
the  Hudson  River  and  the   fruitful  valley  through  which  it  flows  can  be  seen 
for  nearly  a  hundred  miles.     They  form  a  picture  of  beauty  which  once  be- 
held will  never    be    forgotten.     The    highest 
point  is   believed  to  be  the   Slide  Mountain, 
which  reaches  an  altitude  of  4,220  feet  above 
the  tide  level.     It  is  near  the  centre  of  the 
Catskill  region  and  is  one  of  a  group  of  not;i- 
ble  peaks.    Several  of  the  hotels  of  this  region 
are  located  from  2,000  to  3,000  feet  above  the 
sea.    From  many  lower  points,  as  tvell  as  from 
the    higher    elevations,    splendid    views  may 
also  be  obtained.     Indeed,  so  numerous  and 
varied  are  the  attractions  of    the  landscape 
that,  go  where  he  will  in  all  this  section,  the 
tourist  will  Pnd  a  scene  of  beauty  constantly 
open  before  him.     The  several  railroads  and 
stage  lines  make  it  comparatively 
easy  to  reach  any  part  of  the  re- 
gion, and  a  long  distance  can  be 
^     passed  and  many  views  obtained 
in  a  limited  time,  though  it  is  far 
*^^     more  satisfactory  to  move  slowly 
and  allow  the  pictures  to  become* 
indelibly    impressed    upon     the 
MB]    mind.     Some  of  the  railroads  are 
f^t    narrow    gauge,    and    have    very 
W'fj    steep   grades   to    overcome.     In 
one  case,  there  is  a  grade  of   180 
feet  to  the  mile,  while  a  rise  of 
140  feet   in  that  distance   is   not 
uncommon.     Even  with  these  steep  inclines  it  is  often  necessary  to  choose  a 
v.'inding  pathway,  and  make  the  running  distance  between  stations  several 
miles  farther  than  it  would  be  if  a  straignt  line  could  be  followed. 

Among  the  many  points  of  interest  in  the  Catskill  region  Sunset  Rock  is 
deserving  of  special  mention.     It  is  located  in  the  Eastern  Catskills,  only  a 


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126      THE   GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OF   OUR    REPUBLIC: 

sliort  distance  from  the  famous  Hotel  Kaat'irskill,  and  overhangs  the  Kaatcr- 
skill  Clove.  It  is  a  table  rock  with  an  almost  perpendicular  descent  of  1,500 
feet,  while  lying  opposite  is  the  K.aterskill  High  Peak,  which  rises  in  full 
view  for  its  entire  height  of  4,000  feet.  Looking  down  the  Clove,  the  valley  of 
the  Hudson  is  seen  spread  out  in  wondrous  beauty.  At  the  head  of  the  Clove 
Haines's  Falls  glimmer  in  the  sun,  while  looking  far  inland  the  giant  form  of 
Hunter  Mountain  comes  into  view.  The  Clove  itself  is  also  one  of  the  grandest 
features  of  the  region.  It  is  a  ravine  some  five  miles  in  length,  at  the  head  of 
which  two  rivulets  unite.  The  stream  thus  formed  flows  rapidly  to  a  point 
where  a  division  in  the  mountain  leaves  an  immense  hollow  forming  a  cata- 
ract of  180  feet,  while  just  below  are  two  falls  of  eighty  feet  and  forty  feet 
respectively.  This  cascade  of  300  feet  makes  a  wonderful  scene  of  beauty  in 
summer,  and  is  said  to  be  still  more  attractive  in  the  winter  when  the  sun- 
light is  reflected  by  the  ice,  which  in  a  multitude  of  fantastic  forms  beautifully 
decorates  the  falls. 

Overlook  Mountain,  which  has  been  styled  "  the  corner  stone "  of  the 
Catskills,  is  also  an  important  point  of  observation.  From  the  hotel  located 
here  a  fine  view  can  be  obtained,  while  from  Grand  View  Rock,  only  a  mile 
away,  the  outlook  is  beautiful  beyond  description,  and  is  said  by  experienced 
travellers  to  be  one  of  the  finest  in  the  world.  The  Hudson  River  can  be  seen 
for  nearly  loo  miles,  five  ranges  of  mountains  besides  the  Catskills  are  in  full 
v.iew,  as  are  also  portions  of  seven  different  States.  The  range  of  vision  is 
said  to  cover  the  vast  area  of  30,000  square  miles.  From  the  little  observa- 
tory which  has  been  erected  at  the  top  of  Slide  Mountain,  in  the  Western 
Catskills,  the  view  is  also  extensive  and  magnificent.  The  Berkshire  Hills  in 
Massachusetts,  the  Hudson  River,  and  many  mountains  in  New  Jersey  and 
Pennsylvania  are  clearly  seen  in  the  distance,  while  the  Catskill  region  lies 
spread  out  in  beauty  and  grandeur  close  at  hand.  Less  imposing,  but  per- 
haps not  less  beautiful,  views  are  to  be  obtained  in  many  of  the  valleys  of 
this  "  enchanted  land."  Beautiful  drives  and  pleasant  walks  abound.  The 
merry  flow  of  the  mountain  streams,  the  beauty  of  tree  and  flower,  and  the 
silent  grandeur  of  the  adjacent  peaks  rearing  their  heads  to  the  "ky,  combine 
to  form  a  scene  of  loveliness  of  which  the  beholder  never  tires.  If  more 
sombre  scenes  are  desired,  the  deep  gorges  of  the  region,  in  which  snow  and 
ice  remain  during  the  entire  year,  their  sides  covered  with  rich,  dark  ever- 
greens which  shut  out  the  sun  yet  which  point  toward  the  light  will  give  the 
thoughts  a  tinge  of  sadness  and  solemnity  which  brighter  views  do  not  impart. 


>'■■'• 


■11 


NATURAL  SCENERY   AND   CELEBRATED   RESORTS.      127 


In  this  wild  region  Nature  can  be  seen  in  all  her  varied  moods  and  the  visitor 
can  choose  the  asjject  in  which  to  him  she  shall  appear. 

The  sportsman,  as  wed  as  the  admirer  of  natural  b('auty,  may  here  find 
abundant  diversion  ;  excellent  hunting  and  fishing  being  found  throughout  the 
.section.  The  routes  from  New  York  to  the  Catskills  have  already  been  men- 
tinned.  From  Boston  this  delightful  region  is  easily  reached  by  the  Boston 
aiul  Albany  Railroad,  or  the  Hoosac  Tunnel  Route,  with  their  connecting 
north  and  south  lines,  while  our  Canadian  friends  who  wish  to  visit  it  will  find 
excellent  accommodations  on  the  Grand  Trunk  road  with  its  connecting  lines. 
Several  recently  constructed  railroads  have  made  all  portions  of  the  Catskill 
section  easily  accessible,  and  it  is  now  possiblij  to  start  from  the  Hudson,  pass 
through  the  entire  length  of  the  region,  and  return  in  a  single  day.  A  less 
hurried  trip  will  be  found  far  more  satisfactory,  but  even  this  brief  visit  will 
be  remembered  with  joy  as  long  as  life  remains. 

Lying  a  little  to  the  south  of  the  mountains,  but  properly  noted  in  con- 
nection v.Ith  the  Catskill  region,  is  the  VVallkill  Valley,  which  presents  numer- 
ous beautiful  scenes  and  through  which  a  path  can  be  found  to  many  charming 
resorts.  It  is  easily  reached  from  Kingston  by  the  Wallkill  Valley  Railroad. 
The  fertiliiyof  its  soil  as  well  as  the  attractions  of  its  scenery  made  it  a  favor- 
ite locality  with  the  early  settlers  of  the  country.  It  was  discovered  and  set- 
tled by  Huguenot  refugees  who  fled  from  France  to  avoid  religious  persecu- 
tion. They  cleared  a  portion  of  *the  land,  planted  vines  upon  the  hillsides, 
and  made  the  former  wilderness  to  "  ^lossom  as  the  rose."  The  town  of 
New  Paltz,  on  the  east  side  of  Wallkill  Creek,  and  on  the  Wallkill  Valley  Rail- 
road, was  settled  in  1683.  It  still  bears,  after  the  lapse  of  two  centuries  with 
tiio  tremendous  progress  which  has  been  made  and  the  vast  changes  which 
have  taken  place  in  all  the  civilized  world,  the  impress  of  the  quaint  and  in- 
dustrious toilers  who  here  found  civil  liberty  and  freedom  to  worship  God. 
Some  of  the  houses  which  they  erected  are  standing  to-day,  and  afford  a  curi- 
ous contrast  to  the  structures  of  modern  times. 

From  New  Paltz  the  Shawangunk  Mountains  are  in  view  and  a  stage 
route  leads  to  their  various  places  of  interest.  Sky  Top,  one  of  the  highest 
peaks  of  the  range,  is  an  interesting  as  well  as  prominent  feature  of  the  land- 
scape. Near  its  summit  is  Lake  Mohonk,  a  beautiful  sheet  of  water,  lying 
nearly  1,250  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  A  carriage  road  has  been  con- 
structed by  which  the  lake  can  be  readily  reached.  The  view  from  all  the 
upper  portion  of  the  route  is  rich  and  varied,  while  the  lake  it£p'f,  inclosed 


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128       TlIK   GRI:AT  wonderlands   Ol'    Ol\i    RKl'UHLIC. 


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j(l  cliffs  ami  massive  rocks,  is  woiulcrfiil    in   its  placiil   lovcl 


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Upon  this  mountain  peak  a  fine  hotel  has  been  erectf.cl  and  many  windin^r 
paths  lead  to  the  points  from  which  the  finest  vi'  r.ay  be  obtainetl.  '1  he 
lake,  thoiij^h   comparatively  narrow,  is  about   h 


mile  in  len^'th,  and  the 
water,  which  is  80  feet  deep,  is  always  clear  and  cold.  About  six  miles  far- 
ther on,  and  also  locateil  on  a  mountain  jeak,  is  Lake  Minnewaska.  'lliis 
beautiful  sheet  of  water  is  about  1,650  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea  and,  like 
Lake  Mohonk,  is  hemmed  in  by  rocky  walls.  On  Minnewaska  Heights,  a 
cliff  overlooking  the  lake,  two  hotels  have  been  erectetl,  and  from  their  wiii- 
ilows  very  fine  and  extensive  views  may  be  obtained.  The  Green  Mountains 
of  Vermont,  the  Berkshire  lliiis  of  ALissachusetts,  the  Housatonic  Moun- 
tains of  Connecticut,  the  Catskills  and  several  other  groups  of  mountains  in 
New  A'ork,  are  all  in  sight,  while  many  va!le\s,  and  lakes,  antl  rivers,  with 
villages  and  towns,  add  their  attractions  co  the  general  beauty.  Only  a  short 
distance  from  these  houses  may  be  seen  the  Awosting  Falls,  where  a  small 
stream  of  water  has  a  clear  fall  of  60  feet,  while  about  half  a  mile  farther  on 
its  course,  by  a  series  of  beautiful  and  rapid  descents,  it  drops  to  a  level  one 
hundred  feet  lower  still.  In  the  vicinity  are  many  other  places  of  interest, 
including  several  caves  and  bluffs,  a  magnificent  forest  of  hemlocks,  and  the 
placid  Lake  Awosting;  all  of  which  are  within  easy  reach  and  by  the  beauti- 
ful views  which  they  present  will  amply  repay  a  visit  from  tourists  who  find 
their  way  to  this  delightful  region.  • 


i,U 


SARATOGA   SPRINGS. 

HE  town  of  Saratoga  Springs  has  long  been  famous  as  a  summer 
resort  and  for  at  least  a  quarter  of  a  century  has  held  the  position 
of  "  Queen  "  of  the  inland  watering  places  in  America.  It  owes  its 
fame  to  the  wonderful  mineral  springs  which  it  contains  and  to  the  large  and 
elegant  hotels  which  have  here  been  erected,  and  which  are  said  to  be  more 
luxurious  and  magnificent  in  their  appointments  than  those  of  any  other 
watering  place  in  the  world.  Of  these  hotels  the  United  States  accommo- 
dates about  2,000  people,  the  Grand  Union  1,800,  and  Congress  Hall  1,000, 
while  several  others  care  for  from  250  to  750  each.  At  several  of  the  hotels 
fine  orchestras  are  kept  throughout  the  season.  In  all  there  are  more  than 
50  hotels  and  there  are  also  a  large  number  of  boarding-houses.     The  town  is 


THK    AWOS'IINO    FALLS. 


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130      THE   GREAT  WONDERLANDS  OF   OUR    REPUBLIC: 

located  in  Sarato^ja  County,  New  York,  1 86  miles  from  New  York  City,  ^6 
miles  uortli  of  Albany,  and  238  miles  west  and  north  of  Boston.  The  nanio 
is  from  an  Indian  word  meaniiij;  "the  place  of  the  herrin^js,"  and  was  doul)! 
less  sii|4j;ested  by  the  sij;ht  of  larye  numbers  of  this  variety  of  fish  which  fur 
merly  passetl  up  the  Hudson  River  to  Saratoj,'a  Lake.  The  re^jion  around 
the  Sprin^js  is  also  an  historic  locality.  In  1693  it  was  the  scene  of  conflict 
between  the  English  and  the  French,  anil  in  this  vicinity  the  ^jreat  battle  of 
Saratoj^a  was  fought  in  1777.  The  latter  was  not  only  one  of  the  most  im- 
portant battles  in  the  struggle  of  the  colonists  for  independence,  but.  on  ac- 
count of  its  far-reaching  results,  is  included  among  the  fifteen  decisive  battles 
of  the  world. 

The  mineral  springs,  and  their  value  in  the  treatment  of  disease,  were 
known  to  the  Indians  at  a  very  early  period.  When  Cartier,  the  French  ex- 
plorer, was  in  the  region  of  the  St.  Lawrence  in  1534  he  was  told  of  the 
springs  by  members  of  the  Iroquois  tribe  with  whom  he  came  in  contact. 
But  he  did  not  visit  them,  and  it  is  supposed  that  the  first  white  man  who 
ever  saw  the  springs  or  tested  the  waters  was  Sir  William  Johnson.  He  was 
the  first  white  resident  in  the  region.  He  settled  among  the  Mohawk  In- 
dians, and  by  his  kind  treatment  and  fair  dealings  soon  acquired  their  respect 
and  confidence.  One  c?  the  v  rious  offices  which  he  held  under  the  govern- 
ment of  Great  Britain  was  that  of  superintendent  of  matters  pertaining  to 
the  Indians  in  this  vicinity.  In  1767,  during  a  period  of  illness,  some  of  his 
Indian  friends  carried  him  to  the  High  Rock  Spring,  and  by  the  use  of  its 
water  he  was  soon  restored  to  health.  The  first  framed  house  was  built  at 
the  Springs  in  1784  by  General  Schuyler  and  the  first  hotel  in  or  about  181 5. 
The  popularity  of  the  waters  rapidly  increased  and  in  1826  their  exportation 
in  bottles  was  commenced.  This  business  has  assumed  vast  proportions  and 
the  waters  of  some  of  the  springs  are  now  sent  to  all  parts  of  the  civilized 
world.  Several  new  springs  have  been  discovered  and  a  few  have  been 
opened  by  drills.  There  are  now  twenty-eight  springs,  from  si.x  of  which  the 
water  spouts  into  the  air.  Among  the  most  popular  of  the  springs  are  the 
Congress,  discovered  in  1792;  the  Hathorn,  discovered  in  1868;  the  Empire, 
High  Rock,  and  Columbian.  Among  the  spouting  springs  are  the  Geyser, 
opened  in  1870  by  an  artesian  well  140  feet  deep,  and  the  Glacier,  opened  in 
1 87 1  by  boring  a  well  to  the  depth  of  300  feet. 

The  different  springs  vary  greatly  in  the  chemical  constituents  of  their 
waters,  and  the  effects  which  they  produce  upon  the  human  system.     Some 


NATURAL  SCENHRY  AND  CELKHRATKI)   RESORTS.      rji 


cniitain  iodine,  sulphur,  and  magnesia.  Sumc  also  contain  limu  and  others  arc 
stronjjiy  iniprcj^ii.^tcd  witii  iron.  All  arc  charged  with  carbonic-acid  j^as. 
'I  he  waters  of  some  of  the  sprin^js  are  cathartic  in  their  action  and  are  vahi- 
;il)le  for  liver  and  kidiiey  troubles,  dyspepsia,  and  y«)ut.  Those  of  other 
springs  act  as  a  tonic,  while  those  of  the  remainintj  classes  seem  to  be  useful 
in  various  other  ways.  The  waters  of  some  of  these  sprin^js  are  used  for 
bathing;,  and  are  very  efficacious  in  certain  forms  of  illness.  For  the  diseases 
to  tile  treatment  of  which  they  are  specially  adapted  these  waters  are  among 
tlic  most  efficient  curative  agents  yet  discovered. 

Saratoga  Springs  is  not  less  famed  as  a  fashionable  summer  resort  than 
it  is  for  the  medicinal  cpiality  of  its  waters.  While  many  invalids  frequent 
tiic  place  in  search  of  health,  the  great  majority  of  the  visitors  go  merely  for 
pleasure,  which,  if  their  purses  are  well  filled,  they  can  pursue  here  with  less 
difficulty  and  greater  success  than  they  can  elsewhere.  Multitudes  of  the 
wealthiest  and  most  fashionable  people  of  the  country  spend  a  few  weeks  of 
the  summer  season  at  this  beautiful  retreat.  The  air  is  clear,  splendid  trees 
abound,  the  streets  and  avenues  are  well  laid  out,  and  the  excellent  roads 
leading  in  all  directions  into  the  country  furnish  beautiful  and  attractive 
drives.  A  camp  of  Indians  is  located  near  by  and  adds  variety  if  not  beauty 
to  the  scene. 

Saratoga  Lake,  lying  four  miles  from  Mie  Springs,  is  a  beautiful  sheet  of 
water  and  offers  one  of  the  finest  courses  for  boating  found  anywhere.  The 
fishing  is  also  excellent.  There  are  ample  hotel  accommodations,  and  the 
lake  is  a  favorite  place  of  resort  both  for  day  and  evening  parties.  Only  a 
short  distance  from  the  village  there  is  one  of  the  finest  race-courses  in  the 
country.  It  is  controlled  by  a  local  association,  but  is  famous  throughout  the 
land  for  the  brilliant  races  which  have  here  been  held.  Many  of  the  most 
noted  horses  in  the  United  States  have  been  speeded  upon  this  track,  and 
regular  and  largely  attended  meetings  for  racing  are  held  during  the  months 
of  July  and  August  of  each  year. 

Saratoga  Springs  is  also  an  excellent  place  from  which  to  make  excursions 
to  various  points,  including  the  Saratoga  Battle  Ground,  Lake  Luzerne,  in 
the  Adirondacs,  Lake  George,  Lake  Champlain,  and  Mt.  McGregor.  The 
latter  point  is  reached  by  the  Saratoga,  Mt.  McGregor,  and  Lake  George  Rail- 
road. It  is  about  1,200  feet  above  the  sea.  The  distance  is  11  rniles  and  the 
trip  is  made  in  40  minutes.  From  many  points  along  the  route  very  fine 
views  of  both  the  Catskill  and  the  Adirondac  mountains  are  obtained.     At 


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THE   GREAT  VV0NDP:RLANDS   OF   OUR    REPUBLIC: 


the  summit  is  a  larijc  liotcl  and  a  park  of  1,000  acres,  with  fine  walks  and 
drives.  Witiiiii  a  siiort  distance  there  is  excellent  fishinjjj  and  good  boatinj. 
The  scenery,  including  both  the  near  and  the  more  distant  views,  is  divt'r-.i- 
fied  and  beautiful.  The  air  is  remarkably  clear  and  pure.  To  large  numhi  is 
of  people,  especially  to  soldiers,  the  principal  object  of  interest  will  be  the 
■cottage  in  which  General  Grant  died,  and  which  has  since  become  the  proj). 
erty  of  the  State  of  New  York. 

As  already  intimated  Saratoga  Springs  is  pre-eminently  a  pleasure  resort. 
Quiet  houses  can  be  found  in  which  one  can  rest,  but  the  large  hotels  are  the 
recognized  centres  of  fashionable  amusements.  There  "  the  days  are  given 
up  to  ease,  and  the  nights  to  mirth  and  pleasure,"  and  the  season  is  a  constant 
round  of  the  gayest  enjoyments.  There  are  several  newspapers  and  each  of 
the  leading  religious  denominations  has  one  or  more  churches.  The  j)ernia- 
iient  population  is  from  8,000  to  10,000  and  the  additional  summer  population 
ranges  from  15,000  to  20,000.  During  the  season,  special  and  luxurious  rail- 
road trains  are  run  from  several  large  cities,  as  Boston,  Washington,  Phila- 
delphia, and  New  York,  to  accommodate  the  large  number  of  visitors  uiio 
want  to  make  the  trip  to  the  Sprin^js  as  quickly  and  as  comfortably  as  pos- 
sible. 


LAKE   GEORGE. 

ROM  the  day  that  Fenimore  Cooper  began  describing  the  glories 
and  emphasizing  the  historical  associations  of  its  vicinage,  this 
beautiful  sheet  of  water  has  possessed  a  remarkable  interest  for 
all  Americans.  No  other  similar  resort  has  so  much  of  historx-,  of  romance, 
of  natural  beauty,  of  the  very  essence  of  quietude  ami  repose,  ami  no  other 
is  so  popular  to-da)-.  It  is  the  inost  democratic  resort  in  the  country,  aiul 
its  frequenters  are  thoroughly  cosmopolitan.  Unlike  almost  all  other  sum- 
mer recreation  grounds,  it  ofTers  equal  opportunities  to  the  rich  and  poor  to 
enjoy  its  myriad  advantages.  It  is  not  an  exclusive  resort  for  the  wealthy, 
for  beyond  the  extravagances  of  the  ultra-fashionable  class,  one  may  obtain 
as  much  health-giving  recreation  and  enjoyment  out  of  the  little  as  out  of 
the  much.  On  the  one  hand  wealth  can  find  just  as  many  avenues  for  ex- 
penditure as  at  the  most  exclusive  caravansery,  and  on  the  other  the  means 
that  have  to  be  estimated  and  counted  frequently  can  secure  an  e(]ual  amount 


NATURAL   SCENERY   AND  CELEHRATED    RESORTS.      133 

iif  invigorating  larofit.  The  pure  mountain  air  is  free  to  all,  the  rare  beau- 
tics  of  the  lake  and  its  surrounding  scenery  are  open  to  all  for  the  mere  look- 
iiiL;;  and  the  scrambler  in  the  woods  along  the  shore  stands  a  fair  chance  of 
receiving  more  real  benefit  from  the  natural  advantages  of  the  place  than  he 
w  ho  pays  a  summer's  income  for  a  suite  of  rooms  in  the  finest  hotel.  Camp- 
ing out  is  the  favorite  method  of  .  oeking  enjoyment  at  a  comparatively  small 
txpense,  and  in  many  respects  it  is  the  best.  With  few  exceptions  the 
numerous  islands  in  the  lake  belong  to  the  State,  and  camping  parties  are 
l)rivileged  to  locate  on  any  of  them.  A  trip  up  the  lake  at  any  time  during 
"the  season"  will  reveal  hundreds  of  tents  half  hidden  by  the  trees  that  line 
the  shores,  in  which  whole  families  pass  the  entire  period  of  their  annual 
outing. 

The  lake  lies  partly  in  Warren  and  partly  in  Washington  counties,  N.  Y., 
extends  north-northeast  and  south-southwest,  is  thirty-six  miles  long,  and 


CAMI'INC   ON   THE    LAKE. 

from  one  to  four  miles  wide.  It  is  encircled  by  the  foothills  of  the  Adiron- 
<lac  Mountains,  is  310  feet  above  tide,  and  has  a  northern  outlet  into  Lake 
Champlain.  The  water  is  remarkably  clear  and  of  variable  depth,  the  ex- 
treme being  about  400  feet.  At  the  present  time  it  contains  about  300 
islands,  though  once  it  was  locally  claimed  that  a  person  could  spend  every 
day  in  the  year  upon  a  separate  island.  In  the  days  of  the  Indian  occupa- 
tion it  was  known  as  l<ake  Horicon.  "silvery  'waters,"  which,  like  all  Indian 
nomenclature,  was  at  once  indicative  of  truthfulness  and  suggestive  of  pictur- 
csciue  description.  Early  in  the  seventeenth  century  it  was  discovered  by  the 
French,  who  piously  named  it  Lc  Lac  du  St.  Sacrament,  "  Lake  of  the  Holy 
Sacrament,"  and  were  in  the  habit  of  carrying  its  waicr  long  distances  for 
baptismal  purposes.  Later  on,  and  after  the  English  had  c-iptured  all  that 
section.  Sir  William  Johnson,  prompted  by  his  loyalty,  named  it  Lake  George, 


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l:^lil^ 


;:,it 


134      THE   GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OF   OUR    REPUBLIC: 

after  King  George  IL,  then  on  the  throne.  Though  this  name  has  since  clung 
to  it,  and  is  in  no  wise  appropriate,  any  one  who  has  enjoyed  its  attractions 
cannot  but  regret  that  the  descriptive  Indian  designation  has  been  allowed 
to  become  obsolete.  History,  as  well  as  tradition,  lingers  around  it,  invest- 
ing many  spots  with  more  than  ordinary  interest.  It  was  the  scene  of  i;!.- 
portant  military  operations  during  the  French  and  Indian  war  of  1755-511, 
Fort  George,  Fort  William,  and  other  defensive  works  were  erected  then.', 
and  their  remains  are  still  visible.  L Ol.  Williams,  the  founder  of  Williams 
College,  Mass.,  was  killed,  and  Baron  Dieskau,  the  French  commamlcr, 
severely  wounded  and  his  force  totally  routed  by  the  English  near  the  south- 
ern end  of  the  lake  on  September  5th,  1755  ;  the  French  General  Montcalm  lic- 
sieged  Fort  William  near  by  with  10,000  men,  and  forced  the  English  garrison 
to  surrender,  after  v.hich  they  were  massacred  by  the  Indian  allies,  in  1757; 
General  Abercrombie,  with  15,000,  attacked  Ticonderoga  unsuccessfully,  after 
passing  up  the  lake  in  boats,  in  July,  175S:  and  General  Amherst,  with  about 
the  same  force,  repeated  the  journey  :ind  captured  both  Ticonderoga  and 
Crown  Point,  in  July,  1759.  There,  too.  General  Burgoyne,  before  starting 
on  his  memorable  march  to  Saratoga,  established  the  depot  of  his  military 
stores  at  the  head  of  the  lake. 

Starting  from  Caldwell,  the  post  ofifice  village  of  the  locality,  the  first  ob- 
ject that  strikes  the  attention  of  the  tourist  is  Williams'  Rock,  where  Col. 
Williams  was  killed.  Close  by  is  Bloody  Pond,  into  which  the  bodies  of  thosi- 
slain  in  the  battle  were  flung.  A  hotel  now  stands  on  the  site  of  Fort  Wil- 
liam, from  which  a  glorious  view  of  the  lake  may  be  obtained.  The  ruins  of 
Fort  George  are  seen  less  than  a  mile  away,  while  French  and  Prospect 
Mounta.ns  and  Rattlesnake  Hill  loom  up,  tempting  an  ascent  that  may  bo 
co'Tifortably  made.  Passing  from  Caldwell,  at  the  south  end,  to  Baldwin,  at 
the  north,  in  one  of  the  steamboats  that  ply  regularly.  Tea,  Diamond,  the 
Two  Sisters,  Long,  Dome,  Recluse,  and  Sloop  Islands  successively  come  into 
sight,  beside  Ferris's,  the  North-west,  and  Ganouskie  Bays,  Shelving  Rock, 
and  Tongue,  Black,  Buck,  and  Sugar-Loaf  Mountains.  Near  the  narrows  on 
the  north  is  Sabbath-Day  Point,  the  scene  of  several  bloody  encounters  with 
Indians,  previous  to  and  in  the  early  part  of  the  Revolutionary  war.  Nearly 
all  these  places  received  their  names  from  circumstances  indicated  thereby, 
the  recital  of  which  adds  not  a  little  to  the  charm  of  the  tour.  Near  Sabbath- 
Day  Point  the  boat  enters  the  broad  bay,  and  soon  afterward  is  steaming 
between  two  precipices  nearly  400  feet  high — Anthony's  Nose  on  the  right, 


NATUR/> 


\  VJ 


NATURAL   SCENERY   AND   CELEBRATED    RESORTS.       135 

and  Rogers's  Slide  on  the  left.  Beyond  the  slide  the  lake  is  narrow,  and 
relatively  devoid  of  interest  till  the  boat  approaches  the  landing  at  Baldwin, 
where  two  other  attractions  are  found,  Prisoners'  Island,  where  the  English 
confined  their  French  prisoners,  and  Lord  Howe's  Point,  where  that  olificcr 
landed  his  army  previous  to  the  attack  on  Ticonderoga,  five  miles  distant  on 
Lake  Chaniplain. 

It  will  thus  be  seen  that  there  is  a  vast  amount  of  material  for  historical 
study  and  contemplation;  and  it  may  be  accepted  as  trustworthy  that  the 


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VIF.W    ON    LAKE   r.F.nRC.E. 


narratives  and  traditions  of  local  occurrences  will  furnish  sufificient  of  the 
elements  of  romance  and  daring  to  cheer  many  a  long  winter  evening. 
Heyond  sailing,  canoeing,  mountain  climbing,  and  the  thousand  and  one 
time-killing  employments  of  camping  life,  good  fishing  can  be  found  at  almor.t 
any  point.  The  summer  population  of  Lake  George  is  now  very  large,  and 
constantly  increasing.  Eighteen  commodious  hotels  were  scattered  along  its 
shore  in  icS88,  none  of  which  were  able  to  shelter  all  the  season  guests,  to  say 
nothing  of  the  transient  ones. 


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CHAUTAUQUA. 

LTHOUGH  of  a  very  different  n. it  are  from  most  of  the  famous 
summer  resorts,  and  managed  upon  unique  principles,  Cliautauqua 
attracts  a  large  and  a  rapidly  increasing  number  of  visitors  every 
summer.  It  is  beautifully  located  on  Chautauqua  Lake,  in  the  extreme  wes- 
tern part  of  the  State  of  New  York.  It  is  in  the  county  of  Chautauqua, 
which  has  the  peculiarity  of  being  bounded  on  two  sides  by  the  State  of 
Pennsylvania.  The  lake  is  from  one  mile  to  three  miles  wide  and  is  about 
1 8  miles  long.  AHhough  but  a  short  distance  from  Lake  Erie,  it  lies  726  feet 
higher  than  that  large  body  of  water  and  is  about  1,400  feet  above  the  ocean 
level.  This  is  the  greatest  altitude  of  anj'  navigable  lake  east  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  and  with  the  exception  of  Lake  Tahoe,  in  the  Sierra  Nevadas, 
the  highest  on  the  continent.  The  lake  itself  is  extremely  beautiful  and  its 
surroundings  are  picturesque  and  charming.  Steamers  ply  upon  its  waters 
and  small  boats  may  be  had  b)'  those  who  prefer  a  more  quiet  or  a  more 
leisurely  trip. 

On  the  shores  of  the  Lake  are  several  popular  resorts.  At  the  southern 
end  is  Jamestown,  on  the  New  York,  Penns\lvania  Railroad,  connecting  with 
the  Erie  from  New  York  ('ity;  and  Lakewood,  on  the  same  railroad,  is 
close  by.  Both  have  hotels  and  are  charming  places.  Mayville,  perhaps 
equally  attractive,  is  at  the  northern  end  of  the  lake,  and  on  the  Buffalo,  New 
York  and  Philadelphia,  and  the  Buffalo,  Pittsburg  and  Western  railroads. 
This  place  also  has  abundant  accommodations  for  visitors.  Between  these 
places  are  Point  Chautauqua,  a  popular  Baptist  resort,  and  Chautauqua,  the 
celebrated  educatioiial  centre. 

Chautauqua  is  located  on  a  point  which  pushes  f)ut  into  the  lake  and 
which,  to  quite  an  extent,  is  still  covered  with  forest  trees.  The  original 
name  of  the  place  was  Eair  Point  and  for  many  years  it  was  a  famous  local- 
ity for  camp  meetings.  It  is  some  125  feet  higher  than  the  water  of  the  lake. 
The  ascent  is  gradual  and  the  view  from  the  elevation  is  delightful. 

In  icS74  the  grounds  now  occupied  were  jiurchased  by  the  Chautaucjua 
Sunday-school  As.sembly  and  since  that  date  the  place  has  been  the  recog- 
nized centre  of  a  peculiar  and  important  educational  niovement.  A  portion 
of  tlie  forest  was  removed  and  buildings  were  erected.     There  has  been  an 


0)1* 


THE   GIvEAT  WONDERLANDS   OF   OUR   RF.PUBLIC.       137 


increasing  interest  in  the  work  of  the  association  and  the  place  has  had  a 
steady  growth.  Nearly  150  acres  have  been  inclosed.  Several  hundred 
'■  cottages,"  many  of  them  elegant  houses,  have  been  erected,  together  with 
stores,  public  buildings,  places  of  recreation  and  amusement,  and  a  hotel 
which  cost  $100,000.  Electric  lights  have  been  introduced,  water  is  obtained 
from  the  purest  part  of  the  lake,  the  streets  are  well  laid  out,  the  sanitary 
conditions  are  excellent,  and  in  every  respect  the  place  compares  favorably 
with  older  and  far  more  pretentious  resorts. 

But  it  is  principally  the  intellectual  and  educational  features  which  draw 
people  to  Chautauqua.  As  the  headquarters  of  the  Chautauqua  Literary 
and  Scientific  Circle  it  has  a  strong  attraction  for  many  thousands  of  people 
who  are  pursuing  the  course  of  study  prescribed  by  the  managers  of  that 
organization.  The  School  of  Languages  is  also  held  here,  as  is  also  a  Mis- 
sionary Institute  and  a  Sunday-school  Assembly.  Secular  educators  have 
here  their  Teachers'  Retreat  and  literary  and  scientific,  as  well  as  religious 
matters  are  kept  prominently  before  the  attention  of  visitors. 

The  season  at  Chautauqua  lasts  for  six  weeks.  Many  lectures  by  some  of 
the  ablest  men  in  their  respective  lines  are  delivered,  numerous  meetings  are 
held,  and  studies  are  pursued.  Interspersed  with  these  are  splendid  con- 
certs, fireworks,  illuminations,  and  many  and  various  recreations.  Improve- 
ment is  sought  as  well  as  ;  'casure,  and  the  large  numbers  who  attend  the  ses- 
sions each  year  and  the  growing  popularity  of  the  resort  indicate  that  the 
plan  here  adopted  is  both  practical  and  profitable. 


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ausable  chasm. 

UK  wonderful  chasm  of  the  Ausable  Rixer  is  reached  by  a  delight- 
ful drive  of  about  twelve  miles  from  the  cit\-  of  I'lattsburg,  N. 
v.,  through  a  section  of  country  that  presents  many  natural  ol). 
jects  of  curiosity  and  interest,  l^cyond  its  weird  scenerj-,  the  chasm  derives  an 
additional  attractiveness  from  the  fact  that  it  is  an  isolated  formation,  wholly 
independent  of,  and  disconnected  from,  any  other  similar  panorama.  The 
surrounding  country  is  comparatively  level.  I-5ut  here  a  slight  depression  and 
a  wooded  valley  with  gently  sloping  sides  suddenly  arrest  the  attention  of  the 


A   SIlAkI'  TURN. 


A   LATI-KAI     KAVINE. 

tourist,  without,  however,  giving  indication  of  the  extent  or  variet}-  of  the 
scenes  close  at  hand.  At  a  point  about  eight  miles  from  Plattsburg  and  one 
mile  from  Keesville,  the  river  makes  a  leap  of  twenty  feet  into  a  semicircular 
basin  of  rare  beauty;  and  about  a  mile  further  on,  and  in  a  spot  of  the  wildest 
scenery,  it  makes  another  leap,  this  time  down  a  declixity  of  i6o  feet,  where  it 
forms  the  Birmingham  Falls.  Still  further  on  and  nearly  opposite  the  entrance 
to  the  chasm,  it  plunges  over  the  Horse  Shoe  Falls,  where  great  blocks  of 
sandstone  are  piled  on  one  another,  assimilating  the  smoothest  cut  masonry. 


THE   G 

I'rom  the  base 
.iiul  maintains 

At  the  begir 
ncl  not  over  tei 
from  100  to  20( 
Lower  down    a 
ward    the   lak< 
walls  gradually 
;i  i)art  till    in 
|)laces  there  is 
tance    betwi-en 
of  fifty  feet,  an 
extend    into  a 
canal,  with  shar 
and  occasion 
larL^ements   for 
taiice    of    nearl 
miles.     Later 
sures    deep    ar 
row,  project  fr 
main  ravine  at 
r  i  l;'  h  t   a  n  g 
through  one   o 
the    ab\'ss    is 
by  a  stairway 
203  steps.     Tl 
mass    of    the 
formed   of  la 
sandstone,  laic 
regular     and 
order  by  the 
nature  as  to 
crevices  of  tl 
form,  as  if  1)1 
or,  from  appa 
angles  that  i 
depths  of  th 


THE   GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OF   OUR    REI'UHLIC.       139 

I'l-om  the  base  of  the  falls  the  river  bejjins  to  deepen  and  grow  narrower, 
and  maintains  for  a  considerable   distance  an  angry  foaming. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  chasm  proper,  the  river  is  hemmed  into  a  chan- 
nel not  over  ten  feet  wide  by  walls  of  rock  that  rise  abruptly  to  a  height  of 
from  100  to  200  feet. 
Lower  down  and  to- 
ward the  1  a  k  e ,  the 
walls  gradually  spread 
a  ])  a  r  t  till  in  some 
|)laces  there  is  a  dis- 
tance between  them 
of  fift)'  feet,  and  then 
extend  into  a  lateral 
canal,  with  sharp  turns 
and  occasional  en- 
largements for  a  dis- 
tance of  nearly  two 
miles.  Lateral  fis- 
sures deep  and  nar- 
row, project  frcMii  the 
main  ravine  at  nearly 
r  i  g  h  t  a  n  g  1  e  s ,  and 
through  one  of  these 
the  ab\-ss  is  reached 
!)}•  a  stairway  of  over 
200  steps.  Tlieen':ire 
mass  of  the  walls  is 
formed  of  lamina;  of 
sandstone,  laid  in  such 
regular  and  precise 
order  by  the  hand  of 

nature  as  to  produce  the  effect  of  a  grand  architectural  ruin.  From  the 
crevices  of  these  walls,  innumerable  hardy  pines  and  cedars  rise  in  stately 
form,  as  if  planted  by  man  to  heighten  the  artistic  beauty  of  the  landscape; 
or,  from  apparently  less  secure  footing,  threateningly  project  their  trunks  at 
angles  that  give  them  the  appearance  of  being  about  to  be  drawn  into  the 
depths  of  the  chasm   by  an  irresistible  power.      Dark  branches  and  darker 


LONG     GALLERY. 


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tUl 


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140       TIIR   (iRKAT  WONDERLANDS   OF   OUR    REPUBLIC: 

sliculows  thus  lie  athwart  the  ^orge,  suggestive  of  the  additional  charm  of 
rugged-nature  clanger. 

The  trip  through  the  chasm  may  be  made  either  in  a  small  boat,  which  is 
much  preferable,  or  on  foot  and  with  absolute  comfort,  as  the  distance  is  uni 
sufficient  to  entail  more  than  a  healthful  amount  of  fatigue.  A  boat  rii'u 
over  the  last  half-mile  is  one  of  the  pleasantest  features  of  the  excursion,  aiul 
the  novel  sensation  of  shooting  the  rapids  and  floating  over  unknown  doptln 
is  something  long  to  be  remembered.  The  chasm  is  owned  by  a  company.  h\ 
whom  stone  walks  with  substantial  iron  railings,  firm  bridges,  and  safe  ami 
commodious  boats  have  been  provided. 


CHATEAUGAY  CHASM. 


F  the  thousands  of 
tourists  who  visit 
the  Adirondac  re- 
gion of  New  York  State  each 
season,  and  content  themselves 
with  camping,  climbing,  and 
hunting,  would  extend  their 
journey  a  little  further  north- 
ward than  has  heretofore  been 
customary,  they  would  find  am- 
ple recompense  in  the  vistas  of 
rugged  grandeur  that  are  dis- 
played in  the  marvellous  chasm 
of  the  Chateaugay  River.  The 
locality  is  just  within  the  \\cst- 
ern  boundary  line  of  Clinton 
County,  due  west  of  Plattsburg, 
and  north-northeast  of  Lyon 
Mountain.  Norway  Mountain 
rises  on  the  southeast,  Rand 
Hill  is  directly  east,  Owl's  Head,  in  Franklin  County,  west.  The  vicinity  com- 
prehends a  number  of  lakes  and  large  ponds,  chief  among  which  are  Chateaugay 


POINT   LOOKOUT. 


y'^t  ■' 


NATURAL   SCENERY   AND   CRLEHRATED   RESORTS.      141 

L.ikc,  Lower  Chatcuigay,  which  is  geographically  the  upper,  Ragged,  Chazy, 
Mcachani,  Leon,  Silver,  Branch  Lakes,  and  Round  and  Ingraham  Ponds. 
The  chasm  is  about  a  mile  and  a  h?\i  north  of  the  village  of  Chateaugay,  and 
is  reached  by  rail  from  Plattsburg,  from  the  central  and  western  portions 
(if  New  York  by  the  Rome,  Watertown,  and  Ogdensburg  Railroad,  and  from 
the  latter  city  by  the  Ogdensburg  and  Lake  Champlain  Railroad.  The  waters 
of  the  Chateaugay  River  and 
tlie  two  lakes  of  the  same 
name  find  an  outlet  to  the 
St.  Lawrence  River  through 
a  hilly  country.  At  the 
oliasm  the  whole  volume  is 
forced  through  a  narrow 
gorge,  walled  in  on  either 
side  by  high  and  perpendicu- 
lar clifTs,  and  with  but  one 
or  two  i)laces  where  a  de- 
scent can  be  made  in  safety. 
i'Voiii  the  banks  above  splen- 
(liil  and  most  interesting 
views  may  be  had  of  the 
charming  cascades  and  falls, 
and  when  the  tourist  has 
once  gained  the  bottom  suffi- 
cient attractions  will  be 
found  to  engage  the  atten- 
tion for  hours.  Ample  pro- 
visions have  been  made  to 
guard  against  accidents,  and  the  descent  is  accomplished  with  but  little 
fatigue,  though  in  places  it  is  very  abrupt. 

After  leaving  the  pavilion  on  the  edge  of  the  cliff  and  passing  down  the 
steps  cut  in  the  solid  rock,  the  tourist  comes  first  to  a  broad  flat  rock  by 
which  the  river  dashes  over  a  high  ledge  which  forms  the  upper  or  first  falls, 
a  cascade  of  considerable  volume  and  much  brilliancy.  Above  is  seen  the 
rugged  masonry  of  sandstone  blocks  formed  by  the  regular  stratification  of 
the  natural  deposit,  with  frequent  irregular  fissures  and  seams  nearly  at  right 
angles  with  the  strata.     It  is  quite  natural,  in  viewing  such  scenery,  to  allow 


CASCADE    AM)    HUTTRKSS. 


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11? 


142      THE  GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OF   OUR    REPUBLIC: 

the  imagination  to  mould  what  rcall)-  exists  into  forms  and  shapes  that  haw  ,1 
.-limilitudc  to  mystic  creations.  Just  as  one's  fancy  discerns  tiic  most  j;frotesquc 
objects  and  structures  in  moon-illumined  clouds,  so  here,  but  slijjht  elasticit\' 
of  imagination  suffices  to  transform  the  rugged  rocks  that  are  really  seen  .m  1 
ma\'  be  felt  into  far-off  vistas  of  feudal  buildings  with  mighty  embattit  1 
towers,  arches,  minarets,  and  the  thousand  and  one  architectural  features  of 

a  lord's  manor  in  the  roman- 
tic days  of  King  Arthur  and 
his  valiant  knights  of  tlu' 
round  table.  Such  is  tlir 
character  of  Cathedral  Rock, 
the  Bastile  on  the  left,  aiiil 
the  Niches  of  Jupiter  on  the 
right,  all  comparatively  close 
to  Vulcan's  Cave.  Tlie 
Niches  and  Cave  are  seen 
high  up  among  the  cliffs,  as 
the  tourist  wends  his  wa}- 
still  downward  and  along  the 
narrow  gallery  of  stone 
smoothed  by  nature,  and 
past  the  rippling  surface  ci 
the  stream,  to  a  point  where 
the  gorge  begins  to  widen, 
and  where  the  fury  of  the 
water  is  somewhat  calmetl 
'  /  its  extension  in  a  wide, 
thin  sheet  over  the  sand- 
stone base  that  unites  the 
two  walls  of  the  chasm.  A  little  further  on,  the  water  that  here  sparkles  in 
seeming  rest  glides  down  from  one  to  another  of  a  series  of  stone  terraces, 
worn  smooth  by  its  own  action  in  unnumbered  years,  seething  and  foaming  at 
each  interruption  in  its  hasty  progress,  and  sending  up  clouds  of  spray  that 
exhibit  in  the  sunlight  a  succession  of  iridescent  bows  spanning  the  verdure- 
clad  walls.     This  sj)ot  is  known  as  Rainbow  Hasin. 

Then  passing  close  by  the  leaping  waters    down  a  natural  stairway  of 
nearly  roo  steps,  formed  by  the  stratification  of  the  stone,  the  Giant  Gorge  is 


RAINBOW   FAI.I.S — SPARTAN    PASS. 


:     i 


NATURAL   SCENERY   AND   CELERRATED   RESORTS.      14,? 

readied.  I'ausiiig  at  the  entrance  a  moment  and  l<inkinfj  backward  throii^di 
the  chasm,  a  magnificent  spectacle  is  presented.  Upward  the  walls  {gradually 
ajiproach  each  other,  so  that  the  distance  at  the  top  is  scarcely  twenty-five 
feet.  The  ferns  and  foliage  that  clothe  the  towering  cliffs  seem  almost  close 
enough  to  interlace  and  arch  the  heights  of  the  gulf.  Entering  the  gorge 
the  first  object  that  rivets  the  attention  is  the  mouth  of  Vulcan's  Cave,  sixty 
feet  above  the  bed  of  the 
ii\er  and  fully  1 20  feet  from 
the  top  of  the  over-hanging 
cliffs.  So  far  as  is  known 
the  interior  of  this  cave  was 
never  visited  by  human  be- 
ings till  within  a  few  years. 
It  was  first  reached  by  means 
(if  long,  spliced  ladders  and 
with  considerable  dilTiculty, 
hut  now  an  inclosed  stair- 
\\;i\'  is  provided,  and  who- 
e\'er  has  the  hardihood  to 
attempt  to  penetrate  its  re- 
cesses will  be  rewarded  with 
the  view  of  a  chamber  thirty 
feet  scpiarc,  with  a  number 
of  gothic  arches  supported 
by  massive  pillars,  dormer 
windows  in  miniature,  irreg- 
ularly disposed  niches,  and 
ceiling  and  wall  decorations 
of    nature's    sculpture-work  '''''''  ■<^'^'^-<^'-^'-  ^^'"<'^'- 

in  the  most  weird,  fantastic  shapes.  Near  the  entrance  to  the  cave  is  a 
plateau  from  which  a  view  of  another  inile  or  so  down  the  chasm,  and  into  a 
region  as  yet  accessible  only  with  great  danger,  may  be  had;  up  to  1888  it 
had  not  been  sufificiently  explored  to  determine  its  attractions,  but  evi- 
dences were  found  of  the  presence  of  other  caves.  Descending  from  Vul- 
can's Cave  the  tourist  passes  the  foot  of  I'ulpit  Rock,  and  leaving  the  walk 
at  its  edge,  picks  his  way  along  the  margin  of  the  stream  for  a  distance  of 
half  a  mile,   and  then   reaches  the  grottoes  of   Juno,  Venus,  and  Minerva, 


il- .  ■'  'Ml 


i 


•rrs,!l 


m:  .1 


'  ilil 


I*     'V 


''i 


% 


I'l'M 


■!,.; 


i 


144       Til  I'-   (iKI'.AT  WONDKRLANDS   OF   Ol'R    RKl'riU.K:. 

which  constitute    a    ckistcr  of    the  most   interesting    features    of    tlic    i'ntii\ 
localit)-. 

As  a  popular  resort  Chatcaugay  Chasm  is  still  in  its  infancj-.  We  luiw 
illustrated  and  described  sufficient  of  its  most  accessible  attractions  to  inter- 
est the  tourist  and  ilirect  attention  to  it,  believing-  that  within  a  few  year-. 
venturesome  travellers  will  discover  so  much  more  to  please  the  eye  and  e.\- 
citj  won  Kt,  tint  it  will  he  said  of  the  chasm  as  it  was  of  the  wealth  and  wis. 
dom  of  Solomon,  the  half  has  not  been  told. 


WATKINS  GLEN. 


iHi 


I         V 

!      V 


-•'1' 


\'*h'' 


1  .  ~ 


^^1  >m 


Im': 


flfe-f 


•,  *-' 


I.  'i  /    ■ 


!.i:i<  . 


11: 


146       THE   GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OF   OUR    REPUBLIC. 

Minnehaha  is  one  of  the  numerous  beautiful  cascades;  it  is  irreguhir,  ytl 
full  of  grace.  The  water,  broken  several  times  in  its  fall,  is  clashed  into  foam 
and  spray,  which  forms  a  brilliant  contrast  to  the  dark,  rocky  surroundinL;s. 
About  100  feet  beyond  Minnehaha  is  the  Fairy  Cascade,  which,  with  unr 
graceful  bound,  leaps  into  Neptune's  Pool.  For  sublimity  and  grandeur 
Cavern  Gorge  is  probably  unsurpassed  by  any  in  the  Glen.  Near  this  beau 
tiful  cavern  is  another,  known  as  Cavern  Cascade,  which  leaps  60  feet  in  a 
single  column  from  the  rocks  above  into  what  is  known  as  the  Grotto,  which 
is  a  dark,  damp,  weird  cavern. 

After  t;merging  from  the  dark  chasm,  we  see  before  us  silvery  cascades, 
quiet  pools,  and  moss-garnished  walls  overarched  by  stately  forest  trees  ami 
thick  shrubbery,  with  a  broad  light  flooding  the  distance ;  and  far  above 
through  the  emerald  foliage,  like  a  web  of  gossamer,  is  seen  the  beautiful 
iron  bridge  spanning  the  Glon.  The  beauty  of  the  ft)liage  is  very  impressive, 
and  the  vegetation  is  almost  tropical.  From  this  point  along  the  verge  of 
the  gorge  is  a  "new"  pathway,  with  a  fine  stairway,  broken  bj'  platforms  re- 
cently erected,  and  which  leads  to  the  building  known  as  the  "  Swiss  Cottage," 
now  a  cottage  of  the  Glen  Mountain  House,  the  only  hotel  connectetl  with 
the  Glen,  which  is  locateti  on  a  sort  of  natural  shelf,  100  feet  above  the  le\cl 
of  the  stream,  and  200  feet  above  the  level  of  Glen  Alpha,  overlooking  The 
Vista,  and  nestling  among  the  trees  and  shrubbery.  Thousands  of  feet  of 
pathway  and  many  of  the  stairs  are  cut  in  the  solid  rock. 

A  few  rods  above  the  Mountain  House  is  situated  Hope's  Art  Gallery, 
which  was  built  by  Captain  J.  Hope,  late  of  82  Fifth  Avenue,  New  York, 
and  contains  a  superb  collection  of  more  than  100  of  his  finest  and  most 
celebrated  paintings.  From  this  point  Sylvan  Gorge  is  not  far  distant.  It 
is  considered  one  of  the  wildest,  most  beautiful,  and  interesting  portions  of 
the  Glen.  A  succession  of  little  rapids  and  cascades  leap  into  Sylvan  Gorge, 
of  which  the  upper  termination  is  called  the  Sylvan  Rapids,  and  they  glide 
and  dance  very  beautifully  through  iiieir  irregular  rocky  channel.  Here  we 
have  a  delightful  bird's-eye  view  down  through  Sylvan  Gorge,  with  its  many- 
windings  and  mysterious  recesses. 

L-^oking  upward  we  find  ourselves  in  Glen  Cathedral.  All  attempt  at  de- 
scription fails,  and  words  are  inadequate  to  paint  a  picture  that  would  do  this 
subject  justice,  or  convey  to  the  mind  an  idea  of  its  grandeur.  The  Cathe- 
dral is  an  immense  oblong  amphitheatre,  nearly  an  eighth  of  a  mile  in  length. 
Here  the  Glen  is  wider  than  at  any  other  point;  the  rocky  walls  tower  to  a 


I 


IP'  pP 


Mi 


*^!  ill;'  III 
hi    mi 


I  ' 


ULE;*  AIOLNTAIN  HOUSE,  WATKINS  GLEN. 


148       THE  GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OF   OUR    REPUBLIC; 


,<nm 


great  height — over  300  feet — and  are  richly  tapestried  with  mosses  and  cIjiil;- 
ing  vines,  and  crowned  with  lofty  pines  and  ether  evergreen  trees.  The  fldm- 
is  composed  of  a  smooth  and  even  surface  of  rock;  the  vaulted  arch  of  the 
sky  forms  the  dome.  In  the  upper  end  the  Central  Cascade  forms  the  Chdii, 
and,  as  it  dashes  from  rock  to  rock,  sings  continual  hymns  of  praise  to  tb.c 
Infinite  Power  that  created  this  mighty  temple. 

Central  Cascade  has  a  beautiful  fall  of  about  60  feet,  and  while  far  abt)VL, 
projecting  through  the  trees,  is  seen  Pulpit  Rock,  close  by  is  the  Glen  of  tluj 
Pools,  so  called  from  its  great  variety  and  number  of  rock  basins.  Situatid 
near  the  upper  end  of  the  Cathedral  is  a  large  and  beautiful  pool,  called  the 
Baptismal  Eont.  The  Grand  Staircase,  which  is  close  by,  is  170  feet  hi^h. 
We  have  to  ascend  this  before  ue  can  reach  the  "  Poet's  Dream,"  which  pn  - 
sents  a  magnificent  scene,  and  affords  new  phases  of  magical  beauty  like  tlic 
ever-varying  changes  in  a  kaleidoscope. 

The  Triple  Cascade  is  considered  by  many  to  be  the  finest  in  the  Glon. 
As  its  name  indicates,  it  is  composed  of  three  portions,  one  above  another, 
each  different  in  form  from  the  others,  and  forming  a  beautiful  combinatimi. 
Just  below  the  Triple  Cascade,  on  the  south  side,  a  little  brook  leaps  ovlt 
the  brow  of  a  great  cliff  nearly  400  feet  high  down  into  the  Glen.  The  water 
does  not  descend  in  a  smooth  sheet,  but  in  a  myriad  of  tiny  threads  and 
drops,  forming  a  sparkling  crystal  veil,  behind  which  our  course  leads.  This 
novel  cascade  is  known  as  Rainbow  Falls.  The  space  between  the  fall  and 
the  cliff  is  narrow,  but  sufificiently  wide  to  allow  free  passage.  In  the  after- 
noon, from  June  to  September,  when  fair  weather  prevails,  the  rays  of  the 
sun  fall  into  the  gorge,  and  the  enraptured  visitor,  in  looking  through  the  veil, 
beholds  two  most  beautiful  rainbows,  a  primary  and  secondary — a  sight  that, 
once  enjoj-ed,  can  never  be  forgotten. 

Glen  Arcadia  well  deserves  its  name,  for  a  more  beautiful  scene  cannot  be 
imagined.  It  has  been  called  'The  Artist's  Dream,"  where  all  the  beauties 
of  the  other  glens,  silver  cascades,  and  crystal  pools,  light  and  shadow,  sharp 
angles  and  graceful  curves,  foliage,  sky,  and  rock,  mingle  and  produce  a  pic- 
ture that  more  resembles  an  ecstatic  dream  than  anything  that  can  elsewhere 
be  found.  Other  scenes  of  great  beauty  or  interest  are  Pluto  Falls,  on  which 
the  sun  never  shines:  the  Arcadian  Fall,  wiiich  is  a  beautiful  cascade,  fa!Iin<^ 
into  a  kind  of  natural  grotto,  and  at  its  foot  is  a  beautiful  basin;  Elfin  Gorge, 
which  is  a  scene  of  wondrous  beaut)-;  Glen  Facility,  at  which  point  the  most 
important  of  the  great   natural  beauties  of  the  Glen  terminate;  but  many 


'\^ 


U' 


NATURAL   SCENERY  AND   CELEBRATED   RESORTS.      149 

visitors  go  half  a  mile  beyond,  to  see  the  magnificent  new  iron  bridge  of  the 
S\  racuse,  Geneva  and  Corning  Railroad  Company,  which  spans  the  Glen  at  a 
licight  of  165  feet  above  the  water.  In  our  description  we  have  passed 
through  2\  miles,  and  gained  a  level  600  feet  above  our  starting-point. 


NIAGARA   FALLS. 

MONG  the  sublime  sights  of  the  world  the  Falls  of  Niagara  easily 
hold  the  highest  rank.  There  are  other  cataracts  with  a  much 
greater  descent  and  other  falls  with  far  more  picturesque  surround- 
ings. But,  so  far  as  is  known,  nowhere  else  is  there  such  an  immense  volume 
of  water  pouring  over  a  mighty  precipice,  or  such  a  majestic  and  unceasing 
exhibition  of  terrific  power.  It  is  estimated  that  2,000,000  tons  of  water  pass 
over  this  enormous  ledge  every  minute.     Its  name,  Niagara,  is  remarkably 

appropriate.    It 


is  derived  from 
an  Indian  word 
meaning  the 
"  t  h  u  n  d  e  r  of 
water" — a  term 
which  is  natu- 
rally suggested 
by  the  constant 

^"4f' -'^ '''"''iliJfeSl&Hi^l^     and  terrific  roar 

iV  of  the  falls. 

In  this  mighty 
cataract  the 
beautiful,  the 
magnificent, 

and  the  sublime  are  intimately  blended.  The  visitor  is  at  once  charmed  and 
astounded.  The  beauty  is  indescribable,  but  the  majestic  predominates,  while 
the  grandeur  is  altogether  beyond  the  power  of  the  human  mind  to  portray. 
A  few  of  the  leading  features  can  be  imperfectly  ouMined,  but  the  grand  view 
of  the  falls  and  the  impression  which  it  makes  upon  the  visitor  cannot  be 
adequately  presented  by  either  words  or  pictures.  Writers  and  painters  of 
great  renown  have  endeavored  to  portray  the  scene  "only  to  find  in  the  end 


IHK    IHJRSESHUE    FALL. 


ISO       THE   GREAT  WONDEREANDS   OF   OUR    REPUBLIC. 


I'm: 


-in 


c   sc(ii)e   o 


f  h 


uman   skill   t. 


that  the    I"Lni^h"sh   Lint^uaLjc  was  too  poor  antl  th 
narrow  to  render  justice  to  so  sublime  a  theme." 

The  Niagara  Falls  are  on  the  Niagara  River,  which  flows  northward  f 
Lake  Erie  to  Lake  Ontario  and  which  carries  the  surplus  waters  of  the  u] 


Y'lm 


i\h 


c:i'eat   lakes,  anc 


d  of 


several  smaller  ones 


Ik 


toward  the  St.  Lawre 


nee. 


It  aU 


oi 


forms  the  boundary  between  the  State  of  New  York  and  the  Province 
Ontario.  The  distance  is  only  thirty-six  miles,  but  there  is  a  total  descent 
333  feet.  Of  this  but  twenty  feet  occurs  in  the  first  si.xteen  miles  from  Lake 
Erie.  The  river  contains  several  islands,  the  largest  of  which  is  Grand  Islam';, 
situated  only  a  few  miles  from  Lake  Erie.  This  island  is  several  miles  long,  ha- 
an  area  of  about  17,000  acres,  and  is  famous  as  the  place  at  which  an  enthusia>- 
tic  Hebrew  once  attempted  to  found  "Ararat,  a  cit\'  of  refuge  for  the  Jews," 
in  which  he  hoped  to  gather  all  the  Jews  in  the  world.  As  it  leaves  Lakr 
Erie  the  river  is  about  three-fourths  of  a  mile  wide,  but  below  Grand  Islanii 
it  reaches  a  width  of  nearly  three  miles  and,  with  its  small  islands  and  quirt 
surface,  resembles  a  picturesque  lake.  Further  down,  by  a  contraction  nf 
the  channel  and  a  fall  of  fifty-two  feet  in  the  bed  of  the  river  in  a  distance  lA 
about  one  mile,  the  mighty  current  known  as  the  Rapids  is  formed.     Altho 


th 


ere  is  an  immense  vo 


lum 


e  o 


f  wat 


er  and   the  river  is  of  great  depth,  the 


uuli 


sur- 


face is  always  covered  with  a  white  foam.     The  rapids  terminate  in  the  fall.-^, 
the  distance  from  Lake  Erie  being  about  twentv-two  miles. 

The  earliest  printed  mention  of  the  falls  was  contained  in  an  account  of 


the  explorations  of  Jacques  Cartier  in  i 


3J3' 


In    1613  Samuel  de  Champlain 


marked  the  location  on  a  map  of  his  voyages.  But  the  earliest  known  de- 
scription of  the  falls  -Aas  given  in  1678  by  Father  Louis  Hennepin,  a  French 
missionary.  With  this  description  there  was  a  drawing  of  the  falls  as  they 
then  appeared.     A  comparison   of  this  sketch  with  the   falls  at  the  present 


time  shows  that  they  have 


undergone  <rre 


;it  ch; 


tli 


in<jes  111  outline  durimr 


the 


past 


two  centuries.  But  their  grandeur  still  remains  as  unspeakable  as  it  was 
\\hen  he  wrote  ot  the  "vast  and  prodigious  Cadence  of  Water  which  falls 
down  after  a  surprising  and  astonishing  manner,  insomuch  that  the  L^niverse 
iloes  not  afford  its  Parallel." 

Scientists  assert  that  the  falls  were  originally  near  Lewiston,  and  wcvc 
caused  by  the  filling  up.  by  glacial  action,  of  the  old  bed  of  the  river.  When 
the  new  channel  was  opened  the  water  fell  over  the  edge  of  the  plateau  which 
fronts  the  low  region  around  Lake  Ontario.  Since  then  it  has  been  con- 
stantly cutting  its  way  backward  towartl   Lake   Erie,  having  now  covered  a 


. '  » i  .si 


NIAGAItA   FALLS. 


if.: 


'■■)  mi, 


J  1^ 


flit 


i     ■ 


•     *       i 


15,!, •  ■ 


if 

I 


■       71 


V. 


■111 


I ; 


il 


M     ■;  ■J-Jj', 


■M 


•'*■■ 


152       THE   GREAT  WONDERLANDS  OF   OUR    RErUBLIC. 

distance  of  about  seven  miles.  The  rate  of  its  retrocession  is  unknown.  Th, 
estimates  of  scientists  vary  from  one  foot  per  year  to  three  feet  per  ct.nti:;\. 
Even  at  the  most  rapid  rate  designated  a  period  of  over  30,000  }ears  li.  ^ 
passeil  since  the  river  commenced  wearing  away  the  face  of  the  phiteaii  (i\ ,  r 
whicli  its  waters  fell.  At  the  present  location  of  the  falls  the  betl  of  the 
river  is  of  hard  limestone  to  a  depth  of  about  ninety  feet.  Underneath  t!ii. 
is  a  much  softer  material  which  is  more  rapidly  dissolved  and  washed  away. 
By  this  uneven  wearing  of  the  rock  there  has  been  formed,  at  some  portions 
n\  the  cataract,  a  projecting  ledge  which  will  eventually  break  off  and  in- 
stantly carry  the 
f.dls  backward  a 
distance  of  sev- 
eral feet.  It  is 
predicted  that  a 
bed  of  sandstone 
will  be  reached 
which  will  lower 
the  falls  so  tiiat 
the\'  will  be  only 
eight>"  feet  hiL^h, 
anil  which  will 
be  so  hard  as  to 

almost  wholl)-  resist  the  erosive  action   of  the  water.     To   reach  this  sanil 
stone    formation  will,   accordii;^    to  the  estimates    of   geologists,   require   a 
period  of  about  lo.ooo  years. 

At  the  falls  the  river  is  divided  into  two  portions  by  Goat  Island.  This 
is  a  small  tract  of  land  about  150  rods  long  by  70  rods  wide,  and  contains 
about  65  acres.  It  rises  about  40  feet  above  the  water  and  is  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  spots  in  the  vicinity.  It  is  reached  by  an  iron  bridge,  360  feet  in 
length,  built  upon  piers.  From  this  point  a  splendid  view  of  the  rapids  is 
obtained.  Between  this  island  and  the  shore  is  Bath  Island,  a  beautiful  spot 
which  in  summer  is  covered  with  luxuriant  verdure.  At  a  little  distance 
from  Goat  Island  is  a  massive  rock  projecting  to  the  brow  of  the  falls.  Many 
years  ago  a  stone  structure,  some  20  or  30  feet  in  height,  and  called  Terrapin 
Tower,  was  built  upon  this  rock.  It  was  reached  from  Goat  Island  by  a 
brid;^  .  and  but  for  the  feeling  of  insecurity  which  the  visitor  could  not  throw 
off  it  would   have  been   one  of  the  pleasantest  places,  as  it  was  one  of  the 


TllK    HKIDi-.K    I.EAniNi;    TO    HATH    AND   COAT    ISLAND. 


m 


mm 


■"■H!l 


m 


Vi\''> 


'i^;\ 


■  (:■)  •!' 


:  !fifi?'i 


•!-iilf5i 


:  ."ijsjsi  *. 


';    1  ;!  '*( 

ill 

jl 

IJ 


'iilfevi 


^Li..y,.. 


fii:; 


■.IS  -k' 


154      Till-:   GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OF   OUR    REPUBLIC : 

finest  points  of  view,  at  the  falls.     The  constant  motion  caused  by  the  stcutK- 

fall  (if  such  an  enormous  quantity  of  water,  antl  the  gradual  wearing  awaj-  if 

..,  _.,  _.  „        the  face  of  the  falls,  at  lenL;tii 

rendered  it  so  manifesth- 
unsafe  that  it  was  destroytd 
with  gunpowder. 

The  width  of  the  river  at 
the     falls    is    4,750    feet,    of 
which  Goat   Island  occupit  ^ 
»    about  I, oco  feet.     The  width 
i    of  the  Ainerican  Fall  is  about 
r,l03  feet,  broken,  howevn, 
,;    by  i\  small   island,  while  tlir 
|i    Canadian   Fall  is  more  than 
twice  as  wide.     The  line  nf 
the  latter,  or    Horseshoe 
Fall,   is   curved   to   such    an 
extent  as  to  make  the  mea- 
surement of  the  face  of  the 
fall  much  greater  than    the 


THE   TFRRAPIN'   TOWF.R,    IlKSTROYED    IN    I873. 


distance  from  Goat  Island  to  the  shore  in  a  straight  line.  On  account  ot 
the  direction  of  the  current,  as  well  as  the  greater  width  of  the  channel,  the 
quantity  of  water  passing  over  the  Canadian  Fall  is  many  times  greater  than 
that  going  over  the  Ameri- 
can side.  The  height  of  the 
precipice  is  158  feet  on  the 
Canadian  side  and  167  feet 
on  the  American  portion. 
The  Horseshoe  Fall  has  worn  I 
away  very  much  faster  in  the 
middle  than  it  has  near  the 
outer  edges  and  is  rapidly 
assuming  an  angular  form. 
On  the  American  side  also 
there  is,  of  late  years,  a  teji- 
dency  to  cut  away  in  the  middle  much  faster  than  elsewhere.  By  the  falling  of 
vast  masses  of  rock  the  outline  of  the  falls  is  frequently  modified.     Table 


THE   OI.U    1  ABLE-ROCK. 


NATURAL   SCLNERV   AND   CKLMHRATKI)    RESORTS.       155 


Rock,  diKL'  a  VL'i)'  prominent  feature  on  the  Canadian  side,  has  entirely  fallen 
i:i,  though  a  spot  near  its  former  location  is  still  called  by  that  name.  Other 
large  portions  have  iallen  in  recent  years,  but  the  essential  features  of  the 
fills  remain  i'*;;inpaired. 

From  Goat  Island  there  is  a  bridge  leading  to  Luna  Island,  a  mass  of  rock 
occupying  an  area  of  about  three-fourths  of  an  acre,  which  separates  what  is 
known  as  the  Central  Fall  from  the  American  Fall.  Just  beyond  is  a  spiral 
stairway  leading  to  the  foot  of  the  falls.  This  is  known  as  the  Riddle  Stair- 
ua\-  and  received  its  name  from  Nicholas  Riddle,  president  of  the  famous 
I'nited  States  Rank,  by  whose  direction  it  was  constructed.  Ry  this  stairway 
access  is  gained 
to  the  Cave  of 
the  Winds.  As 
already  noted 
tlic  rock  near 
tile  bottom  of 
the  falls  is  dis- 
solved  and 
washed  away 
much  faster 
than  is  t  h e 
h  a  r  d  e  r  rock 
near    the    top. 

This  process  of  undermining  seems  to  have  gone  on  quite  rapidly  at  the  Cen- 
tral Fall,  and  tl,ie  overhanging  rock  projects  for  quite  a  distance.  The  tre- 
mendous force  of  the  current  also  throws  the  water  many  feet  beyond  the 
brink  of  the  precipice.  Thus  there  is  left  a  sufificiently  wide  but  a  "  rough, 
slippery,  half-subtj.>rranean  half-submarine  pathway "  by  which  one  can  go 
behind  the  vast  torrent  of  water.  Waterproof  clothing  must  be  worn  and 
an  experienced  guide  should  be  secured.  The  air  is  greatly  compressed,  the 
mist  is  heavy  and  the  roar  is  terrific.  The  first  view  from  beneath  the  falls 
is  absolutely  appalling.  Rut  when  the  instinctive  feeling  of  fear  has  passed 
the  scene  appears  magnificent  beyond  description.  A  plank  road  has  been 
laid  to  rocks  outside,  and  near  the  foot  of  the  falls,  from  which  point  another 
splendid  view  may  be  obtained.  From  Goat  Island  bridges  lead  to  the  Three 
Sisters,  a  cluster  of  pretty  little  islands  lying  in  the  rapids.  There  are  also 
islands  nearer  the  Canadian  shore. 


NIAGARA    RIVER    BKI.OW   THE   FALLS — THE   CANADA   SIDE. 


Is? 


■'■m 


■  ■  i\{ 

■m 


.'   '    ■>  '  '■ 

■  ,.■  ^■'.    - 

156      THE   GREAT  WONDKKLANlJS   OF   OUR    REPUBLIC. 

In  order  to  make  free  to  the  people  of  the  world  the  wonderful  attraction , 
of  the  falls,  place  and  keep  the  ^'rounds  in  suitable  conilition,  and  put  an  ciu! 
to  the  annoyances  as  well  as  the  extortions  to  which  \i:  itors  had  been  sub- 
jected,  Governor  Lucius  Robinson  sent  a  message  to  the  Le^'islature  of  New 
York,  in  1879,  in  which  he  recommended  that  the  Sta'.e  take  possession  of  a 
suitable  area  of  land  in  the  vicinity  and  set  it  asidi-  as  a  public  park.  Tii(. 
subject  was  a^jitateil  until  1883,  when  commissioners  were  appointed  to  locate 
the  lands  which  it  seemed  desirable  to  secure.  The  property  designated  in 
their  report  was  appraised,  by  parties  ajjpointed  by  the  courts,  at  §1,433,42^.- 
50,  which  sum  was  duly  paid  by  the  State. 

On  the  i^th  of  July,  1885.  "The  New  York  State  Park  at  Niagara  Falls" 

was   opened    tn 


the  public  w  itli 
appropriate- 
ceremonies. 
The  grounds, 
J  which  include 
Goat  Island, 
with  several 
smaller  islands, 
and  a  strip 
along  the  bank 
of  the  river, 
comprise  an 
area    of    about 

107  acres.  They  are  under  the  care  of  commissioners,  who  are  authorized  to 
maintain  the  property  in  good  condition  and  make  necessary  improvements. 
The  bank  of  the  river  has  been  terraced,  fences,  and  barns,  with  other  un- 
sightly objects,  have  been  removed,  a  reception  house  has  been  built  and  vari- 
ous other  means  have  been  taken  to  promote  the  comfort  of  visitors,  while  an 
elevator  at  the  Cave  of  the  Winds  is  to  be  constructed,  and  certain  other  im- 
provements are  either  being  made  or  will  soon  be  effected.  A  railwa\-  has 
been  built  from  the  park  to  the  foot  of  the  falls,  and  a  steamer,  called  Maid 
of  the  Mist,  crosses  the  river.  From  this  little  craft  a  splendid  view  of  the 
falls  may  be  obtained.  Passengers  in  the  car  and  the  steamer  are  charged 
a  small  sum  and  there  is  a  charge  for  a  guide  in  the  Cave  of  the  Winds,  but 
entrance  to  the  park,  and  to  all  points  of  interest,  is  entirely  free. 


NIACJAKA   IKUM    NKAR   i  UEENSTOWN    llKKiUTS. 


laiJi- 


•':',  '  •'! 


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Bf     .        I 


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i?.s       TIIF.   GKKAT  WONiniKLANDS  OK   OUR    RIU'UBLIC: 

At  ;i  sonu'uh.it  lati-r  date  measures  were  taken  by  the  let;islature  nf 
Ontario  to  sniire  .i  imhlic  park  on  the  Canadian  sidi'  of  the  falls.  At'ti  i 
so;m,'  delay  these  efforts  were  successful,  and  on  the  2Jil  of  June,  1SS7,  tlw 
fjiiecn  X'ictoria  Ni.iLjara  l'"alls  i'ark  was  openeil  without  ceremony  to  tli  • 
public  use.  Roaihva)s  ha\e  heen  laid  out,  platforms  built  from  which  tn 
view  the  falls,  .and  an  elevator  has  been  constructed  to  take  people  from  tlu' 
cliff  to  .1  bank  So  feet  below.  I-'rom  the  latter  point  access  is  «fained  to  the 
rieess  behind  the  Horseshoe  l''all.  The  stairs  leadinjj  to  the  foot  of  the  falls 
are  steep,  but  can  be  passed  without  much  difficulty.  Waterproof  clothing; 
and  a  j^uide  are  re(iuired  if  one  is  to  pass  behind  the  fall.  The  air  is  so 
^M'latly  compressed  that  it  is  impossible  to  ^ro  a  lonjj  distance  in  this  direc- 
tion. This  park  contains  iiS  acres  of  land,  is  some  two  and  a  half  niihs 
\i<v.'^,  .md  embraces  several  small  islands.  To  some  portions  of  the  park  a 
small  admission  fee  is  chari^ed.  An  immense  Crystal  Palace  has  been  con- 
structed and  \arious  other  attractions  have  been  added. 

The  bridges  across  the  ri\er  below  the  falls  are  objects  of  interest.  The 
first  to  be  erected  was  a  suspension  bridge  which  was  built  under  the  direc 
tion  of  the  celebr.ited  civil  engineer,  John  A.  Roebling.  It  is  about  two  miles 
from  the  falls,  was  in  process  of  construction  about  three  years,  and  \\,is 
openeil  for  use  in  1855.  It  measures  821  feet  and  4  inches  between  the 
towers,  is  245  feet  above  the  water,  and  has  a  public  roadw.iy  at  the  bottom 
and  the  Grand  Trunk  Railroad  track  on  top.  Thirty-one  years  after  its  com 
pletion  the  stone  towers  built  to  support  the  cables  upon  which  the  bridge 
was  hung  were  replaced  by  towers  made  of  steel.  What  is  known  as  the 
Niw  Suspension  Bridge  was  built  in  1868.  It  measures  1,268  feet  between 
the  tow  ers  and  is  230  feet  above  the  water.  It  is  only  about  50  rods  from 
the  falls,  and  from  the  top,  w  hich  is  reached  by  an  elevator  on  the  Canadian 
side,  an  excellent  view  may  be  obtained.  It  is  used  for  foot  passengers  and 
carriages.  The  most  remarkable  bridge  in  the  vicinity,  and  the  first  bridge 
of  the  kind  ever  built  in  the  United  States,  is  the  cantilever  bfidge,  which 
was  built  in  1883.  It  is  895  feet  in  length  and  245  feet  above  the  water. 
The  cantilevers  are  supported  by  two  enormous  steel  towers,  130  feet  high, 
resting  upon  stone  piers  39  feet  high,  which,  in  turn,  are  supported  by  massive 
masonry  resting  upon  solid  rock.  This  bridge  is  about  300  feet  above  the 
railroad  suspension  bridge,  and  is  used  for  railroad  purposes  only.  It  has 
two  tracks,  one  of  which  is  used  by  the  New  York  Central  Railroad  and  the 
other  by  the  Michigan  Central  road.     The  span  across  the  river  is  500  feet 


!   1.  •., 


NATURAL   SCKMCKV   AND   CKLKHKATKI)    RKSUKIS.      15.J 

in  length  and  is  the  lon^'cst  truss  span  in  the  world  which  cairiis  two  h'ncs 
I  if  railroad  track. 

Iktwccii  the  falls  ami  Lewiston,  a  distance  of  seven  miles,  there  is  a 
descent  in  the  river  bed  of  104  feet.  The  water  flows  thri)Uj;h  a  K^'K*-'  varj- 
;n^'  in  width  fr(im  about  800  to  i,20O  feet,  with  sides  so  steep  that  stairways 
,ire  needed  to  enable  one  to  ^et  from  the  bank  to  the  river's  cd^e.  Much  ui' 
tlie  way  the  banks  are  from  200  to  350  feet  hif^h.  Some  three  miles  below 
the  falls  is  the  famous  Wliirlpool,  which  is  caused  by  a  short  bend  in  the 
cli.innel  of  the 
liver  by  which 
the  water'  is  vio- 
lenth'  turned 
t  II  w  a  r  d  t  h  e 
Canadian  shore 
and  cj  ir  i  c  k  I  y 
forced  back  to 
the  American 
side.  Trunks  of 
larj^e  trees  have 
been  kept  in 
constant  mo- 
tion    in     this 

whirlpool  for  several  weeks  before  getting  into  the  current  beyond.  In  the 
rapids  above  the  whirlpool  the  motion  of  the  water  is  so  violent  that  the  mid- 
dle of  the  stream  is  said  to  be  30  feet  higher  than  the  edges.  From  Lewiston 
to  Lake  Ontario  the  course  of  the  river  is  tranquil  and  the  gorge  is  reduced  to 
a  depth  of  about  30  feet. 

At  the  village  of  Niagara  Falls,  situated  on  the  river  and  close  to  the  cat- 
aract, are  many  hotels,  some  of  them  very  large  and  well  appointed,  which 
furnish  ample  accommodations  to  visitors.  The  village  of  Suspension  Bridge, 
one  and  a  half  miles  below,  also  contains  popular  hotels.  The  former  village 
has  about  3,500  and  the  latter  about  2,500  inhabitants. 


MAliARA    KlVl'.K — TIIK    W  lllKl.l'OOl.. 


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"  ;■:  ■ 


■lA!", 


i-i>; 


THE   THOUSAND   ISLANDS. 

HE  St.  Lawrence  River  is  the  volume  of  the  overflow  of  Lakes 
Superior,  Micl\gan,  Huron,  Erie,  and  Ontario.  Its  course  is  m 
a  general  northeaste-ly  direction.  From  the  point  of  its  dcboiiclia- 
from  Lake  Ontario  to  the  crossin<f  of  the  45th  parallel  at  Cornwall,  it  forms 
the  boundar)'  line  between  New  York  State  and  the  Province  of  Ontario. 
Canada,  a  distance  of  85  miles.  For  a  further  distance  of  more  than  400 
miles  it  leads  through  the  Canadian  Provinces  of  Montreal  and  Quebec.  The 
final  200  miles,  or  nearly  all  of  that  portion  below  the  city  of  Quebec,  is  prac- 
tically a  vast  sound,  varying  !.i  width  from  6  to  30  miles.  The  evervar}-ing 
features  and  the  constant  change  of  vista  afforiled  the  voyager,  overflowing 
at  every  turn  with  unc-.pected  instances  of  those  combinations  of  water,  land, 
and  sky  which  we  recognize  as  beautiful,  make  up  the  charm  and  glory  of  the 
Upper  St.  Lawrence  River. 

Much  has  been  -aid  by  a  multitude  of  writers  concerning  the  rapids  of  the 
St.  Lawrence,  down  which  the  larg'.:  and  staunch  passenger  steamers  daily 
perform  their  exciting  and  appa.vntly  perilous  descent.  These  rapids  are 
seven  in  number,  anil  are  d'  'iJed  by  intervals  of  smooth  waters  and  broad 
lakes.  Between  the  passage  of  ♦'he  Lv)ng  Sault  and  the  Lachine  there  is  an 
interval  in  voyaging  down-stream  of  about  ri.'e  hours;  the  return  is  made  by 
all  craft  around  the  rapids  through  a  ^-^ries  of  costly  canals. 

The  St.  Lawrence  was  originally  known  as  the  Great  River  of  Canada, 
and  was  also  known  by  the  names  of  Cataraqui  and  the  Iroquois.  The  name 
it  now  bears  was  bestowed  upon  it  by  the  explorer  Jacques  Cartier,  who  first 
penetratcci  its  mouth  upon  the  festival  day  of  St.  Lawrence. 

The  steamboat  express,  which  is  a  part  of  the  through  route  via  the  St. 
Lawrence  River  to  Montreal,  leaves  Niagara  Falls  over  the  Lake  Shore  Divi- 
sion of  the  Rome,  Watertown  &  Ogdensburg  Railroad,  arriving  at  the  thriv- 
ing town  of  Clayton,  where  close  connection  is  made  with  the  steamer  for 
Alexandria  Bay  and  the  trip  down  the  St.  Lawrence.  Through  sleepers  arrive 
here  every  morning,  also  from  New  York,  which  is  only  1 1  hours  distant  via 
Utica  and  Albany.     All  lines  of  steamers  stop  at  Clayton. 

If  you  come  from  the  West,  you  v/ill  be  on  board  the  steamer  at  Clayton 
just  as  the  sun  has  fairly  thrown  off  the  rosy  drapery  of  his  couch,  and  touch- 


■fh:: 


THE  GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OF   OUR   REPUBLIC.       i6i 

iiig  at  Round  Lsland,  Thousand  Island  Park,  Central  Park,  and  Alexandria 
Hay,  within  the  next  hour  you  will  find  the  pretty  skiffs  or  convenient  steam 
\  achts  of  scores  of  cottagers  waiting  to  capture  and  bear  away  among  the 
islands  their  happy,  newly-arrived  guests,  and  you  are  indeed  fortunate  if  you 
are  numbered  among  these. 

There  is  a  strange  enchantment  in  the  stilly  mornings  here.     The  city,  its 


ON   THE   ISI.AN'nS. 


pressing  cares,  its  hurry;  its  heedless,  and  often  heartless,  strife  for  supremacy, 
seem  far  away,  and  as  unreal  as  a  troubled  dream  that  is  past.  Sometimes 
the  voices  of  nature  hint  to  us  that  here  is  the  true  life  to  lead — that  all  else 
is  dross  and  a  delusion.  Dawn  ushers  in  the  beginning  of  the  through  trav- 
eller's trip  down  the  river,  and  he  makes  up  his  mind  whether  or  no  the 
vaunted  Thousand  Islands  are  all  that  they  are  claimed  to  be.  First,  let  it 
be  understood  that  all  of  the  land  you  can  see  to  the  left  is  made  up  of  islands. 


V   «4 


SM*' 


WW 

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I'Vi^'i-'f™- ' 


,,  ;  ■  I'll?!",! 


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I     ^tIE 


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162       THE  GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OF   OUR   REPUBLIC. 

one  overlapping  the  other  along  the  distance  until  they  give  the  impression 
of  being  continuous  coast  line.  Not  so;  they  are  threaded  by  many  devious 
and  charming  channels. 

As  Round  Isand  is  approached  the  graceful  proportions  of  the  large  hotel 
in  its  centre  are  revealed  through  interstices  in  the  dense  foliage  along  it- 
shores.  From  this  point  there  is  a  charming  succession  of  pretty,  brightl\ 
painted  cottages  all  along  the  cliff-like  frontage  of  the  island.  Each  year 
witnesses  the  rearing  of  scores  of  costly  and  beautiful  villas  upon  coigns  ol 
vantage,  and  island  property  appreciates  rapidly  in  value.  After  passing; 
Round  Island  we  have  a  fine  view  of  Thousand  Island  Park  and  the  clustered 
islands  in  its  vicinity.  We  soon  enter  the  narrow  precinct  of  the  American 
channel,  which  for  several  miles  separates  Wellesley  Island  from  the  mainland. 
Rock  Island  is  on  the  right,  and  beautiful  cottages  are  here,  there,  and  evcr\-- 
where. 

At  the  lower  end  of  Densmore  Bay,  v  hich  indents  Wellesley  Island  at  this 
point,  are  the  "  Seven  Isles,"  a  most  romantic  spot,  which  one  must  needs 
explore  with  a  row-boat  to  discover  its  hidden  charms.  "  Bella  Vista,"  a 
large  and  costly  place,  is  now  noted  upon  the  right,  distinguishable  by  its 
square  tower  and  ultra-modern  style  of  architecture.  Perched  upon  the  caj) 
of  a  cliff  stands  the  villa  known  as  "  Louisiana  Point."  The  tall  tower  loom- 
ing above  the  trees  of  a  mid-stream  island  ahead  is  the  large  villa  upon  C<jni- 
fort  Island. 

Within  easy  hail  down-stream  is  Nobby  Island.  It  hides  modestly  behind 
Friendly  Island.  To  the  west  of  Nobby  Island  stands  Welcome  Island.  A 
pretty  cottage  stands  in  its  centre.  A  notable  property  passed  by  the  steamer 
just  before  reaching  the  "  Bay,"  and  the  last  in  the  channel,  is  that  of  Mr. 
Albert  B.  Pullman,  of  Chicago,  known  as  Cherry  Island. 

As  tile  st  amer  rounds  up  to  her  dock  at  Alexandria  Bay,  the  wealth  and 
variety  of  picturesque  surrounding,  in  which  the  natural  and  artificial  are  so 
happily  blended,  almost  bewilder  the  new-comer,  whose  imagination  must  be 
vivid  indeed  if  he  has  conjured  from  the  recesses  of  expectation  anything  iialf 
so  beautiful.  The  huge  and  shapely  hotels  loom  up  close  besitle  the  water, 
and  sable  representatives  of  each  lay  in  wait  for  the  coming  tourist  upon  the 
wharf.  In  the  foreground  of  the  accompanying  picture  of  Alexandria  Bay  is 
seen  tlie  famous  Thousand  Island  House. 

Round  Island,  occupied  as  Round  Island  Park,  is  located  in  the  centre  of 
the  American  channel,  8  miles  above  Alexandria  Bay.     One  hundred  and  fifty 


)■'■ 


ROUND   ISLAND   PARK. 


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f.  :\ 


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Jf  ■;>"',-  '  ■     teas 

Flip 


i64       THE   GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OF   OUR    REPUBLIC; 


M. 


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f'  >"/• 


: :;. 


::f- 


acres  of  land,  beautifully  diversified  by  sun  and  shade,  are  contained  in  the 
island,  every  portion  of  which  has  some  special  attraction.  The  entire  ishuul 
is  under  the  management  of  "  The  Round  Island  Park  "  Company,  a  stock 
company  with  a  capital  of  $50,000.  The  hotel  is  modern,  and  well  conducted. 
There  are  no  two  sunsets  just  alike  at  Round  Island.  Each  day  briivs 
some  special  beauty.  Tne  c<-^in^'  down  of  ^he  sun,  as  it  sinks  upon  the  ^rci  11 
Canadian  hills,  realizes  the  finest  phenomenon  in  nature,  save  only  that  of 

light  itself.    Whether 


the  de.  ining  orb 
drapes  himself  with 
the  purple  and  gold 
of  a  royal  couch,  or 
sinks  amid  the  tears 
and  sackcloth  beto- 
kening a  c  o  m  i  n  i; 
storm,  he  is  always 
grand  in  his  leave- 
taking.  Men  in  all 
ages  have  contempla- 
ted this  phenomenon 
with  awe  and  admira- 
tion— even  to  adora- 
tion. What  a  place 
for  a  moonlight  row  ! 
What  enchanted  islets 
to  thread  between,  if 
one  but  knows  tlv 
iiFTWKKN  Ti!f.  ISLANDS.  Way  I    Inmidsumnicr 

there  are  veritably  but  five  hours  of  darkness  upon  the  St.  Lawrence.  At  10 
o'clock  the  sunset  yet  stains  the  wes^-ern  sky ;  and  soon  after  3  there  are 
manifest  tokens  of  the  coming  of  another  day. 

The  Methodist  organization,  known  as  the  Thousand  Island  Park  Associa- 
tion, began  its  operations  in  1875  by  the  purchase  of  a  large  territory  at  the 
head  of  Wellesley  Island,  aggregating  1,000  acres.  Thousand  Island  Park 
now  stands,  with  its  300  tasty  cottages,  as  the  most  extensive  of  the  denom- 
inational resorts  upon  the  river.  The  large  hotel  recently  erected  is  a  fine 
and  costly  structure,  which  must  aid  greatly  in  advancing  the  interests  of  the 


'.•e; 


NATURAL   SCKNERY   AND   CELEBRATED   RESORTS.      165 

park.     As  at  Chautauqua,  a  r<j^ular  projji amine  of  the  season's  exercises  is 
announced. 

It  is  a  mooted  question  if  the  islands  which  dot  the  broadened  river  in 
fiDnt  of  Alexandria  Bay  look  prettiest  at  sunrise  or  eventide.  At  evening 
the  camp-fires  begin  to  twinkle  out  of  ihe  mellow  purple  gloom,  and  the 
merry  sounds  of  human  occupancy  float  out  from  the  island  homes.  It  is  an 
iiour  of  repose  which  even  the  wordy  wrangling  on  the  dock  concerning  the 
"  catches  "  of  the  day  can  scarce  disturb;  but  wait,  a  finer  thing  is  yet  to  come. 
Take  supper  and  come  out  half  an  hour  later.-    Now,  displayed  against  the 


'■  lUlNMK  CAsri. !•;.'' 


black  masses  where  the  islands  stand,  beneath  the  lingering  stain  of  the  sun- 
sot,  aio  a  score  of  devices,  wrought  in  twinkling  lamps;  here  an  anchor, there 
a  star,  a  harp,  or  initial  letter.  Far  up  toward  the  cap  of  the  lofty  tower 
upon  the  Thousand  Island  House  glows  the  white  heat  of  an  electric  lamp, 
and  alf)ng  every  cornice  through  the  garden  below  and  over  among  the  rock 
and  verdure  of  the  illuminated  Grossman  House,  a  thousand  lamps  and  tor- 
ches dance  in  the  eddying  night-wind,  each  tiny  flame  caught  up  and  reflected 
on  every  ripple  of  the  deep  black  stream;  and  as  v.e  gaze  and  admire,  the 
night  is  pierced  by  the  swift  flight  of  rockets,  which  mount  into  the  dome  of 
heaven,  and,  shattering  there,  scatter  particolored  stars  far  out  upon  the  silent 
tide. 


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i66       Till:  GREAT  WONDERLAXUS   OF   OUR    REPUBLIC. 

The  largest  and  most  costly,  if  not  thu  most  picturesque,  of  the  man\-  hu:.. 
(h'eds  of  cottai^cs  a'.oni;  the  ri\er  are  found  in  the  vicinity  of  Alexandria  l!,i\ , 
man)-  i)f  tlieni  being  within  an  easy  row  of  the  dock.  The  passinj^  voja^;'  r, 
who  onl\-  looks  at  these  places  from  the  steamer's  deck,  can  have  but  sli:^'lit 
iilea  t)f  the  loving  care,  even  extravagant  outlay,  lavished  upon  many  of  tlum. 
One  of  the  best-known  properties  in  the  vicinity  is  "  Bonnie  Castle,"  the  pr.  .[i- 
erty  and  favorite  home  of  the  late  Dr.  J.  G.  Holland.  It  is  said  that  the  final 
words  of  that  genial  and  popular  writer,  who  died  in  October,  i88l,  after  a 
jo\-ous  summer  at  "  Honnie  Castle,"  related  to  his  life  here,  which  had  ex- 
tended through  five  summers.  "  It  is  to  me,"  he  said,  "the  sweetest  spot  im 
earth."  He  then  went  on  to  speak  of  the  constant,  all-winter  longing  he  fell. 
almost  counting  the  days  to  the  approach  of  the  time  when  he  could  escape 
the  weariness,  or,  as  he  expressed  it,  the  "  incessant  grind,"  of  the  city  to  this 
delightful  home.  Dr.  Holland  is  also  credited  with  the  mo/:  "  We  staj'in  New 
York,  but  we  //rv  upon  the  St.  Lawrence." 

0\"er  beyond  the  islantls  which  shut  out  the  western  horizon  when  look- 
ing from  the  bay,  is  Westminster  Park,  which  occupies  an  extensive  domain 
upon  the  lower  end  of  Wellesley  Island.  Tliis  park,  like  others  upon  the  ri\er, 
is  under  ilenominational  influence,  being  Presbyterian  in  form.  The  hotel, 
known  as  the  Westminster,  is  composed  of  two  roomy  buildings.  In  Popl.ir 
Bay  one  finds  a  commodious  dock,  and  a  semicircle  of  bright  and  prelt\ 
homes.  Just  here  is  the  entrance  to  the  weird  Lake  of  the  Island,  a  ]:iv^c 
pond  hidden  away  in  the  midst  of  Wellesley  Island,  to  which  access  is  h,iil 
through  a  narrow  and  precipitous  channel.  This  pond  or  lake  is  two  mileri 
in  length  and  nearly  a  mile  in  width. 

On  Ua\ing  Alexandria  Ba\-  for  Montreal,  scattering  islands,  man)' of  them 
quite  as  w  ilil  as  when  the  wh-'te  man  first  voyaged  here,  are  passed  all  the  way 
down  to  Brock\ille,  where  the  Thousand  Island  system  terminates  in  a  gi'oup 
called  the  "  Three  Sisters."  Brock\ille  is  a  substantial  Canadian  cit)-of  lo.coo 
])e()j)le.  It  is  IJ5  miles  from  Montreal  b}-  the  river.  The  traveller  will  note 
the  large  number  <>f  fine  private  properties  along  the  rugged  river  front,  both 
abo\e  ;ind  below  the  town.  Immediately  opposite  is  the  American  town  of 
M'irristown.  Fourteen  miles  beyond,  the  Canadian  town  of  Prescott  and  the 
American  city  of  Ogtlensburg  stand  7'is-(7-:'/s  upon  the  banks  of  the  river.  A 
railwa)-  connects  the  St.  Lawrence  at  this  point  with  Ottawa,  the  Canadian 
capital.  Ogdensbiir  ;  is  the  focal  point  of  tli-ee  lines  of  railway,  and  a  depot 
for  a  vast  transshipment  of  grain  and  lumber  from  the  West.     It  has  an  ener- 


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i68       THE   GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OF   OUR   REPUBLIC: 


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Ijetic  population    of   nearly   12,000,  largely  engaged    in    manufacturing  and 
internal  commerce. 

Five  miles  below  Ogdensburg  is  Chimney  Island,  where  vestiges  of  French 
fortifications  still  exist,  and  immediately  below  are  the  first  of  the  series  of 
rapids,  the  Gallopes,  and  shortly  thereafter  the  Rapide  de  Plat  is  met.  Neither 
of  the  swift  places  is  especially  exciting,  but  they  serve  as  a  preliminary  to 
the  great  Long  Sault  (pronounced  long  sou),  which  is  next  in  order.  A  loiv^ 
reach  of  smooth  water  intervenes,  however,  during  which  we  pass  the  small 
American  town  of  Waddington  and  the  attractive  Canadian  city  of  Morris- 
burg.  Just  below  this  place  is  the  battle-field  of  Chrisler's  Farm,  where  an 
engagement  occurred  in  18 13  between  British  and  American  forces,  while  the 
latter  were  marching  to  the  capture  of  Montreal  and  Quebec.  Over  upon  tin.' 
American  side  is  Massena  Landing,  whence  a  stage  connecting  with  a  steam 
ferry  runs  to  the  fine  old  medicinal  resort  known  as  Massena  Springs,  which, 
aside  from  its  picturesque  and  healthful  location,  the  excellent  Hatficlil 
House,  and  good  fishing,  boasts  of  remarkably  strong  and  potent  sulphur 
waters. 

At  Dickinson's  Landing,  the  boat,  which  is  well  fitted  for  her  daily  task 
of  breasting  the  wild  surges  of  the  rapids,  turns  in  the  swift  current,  and  a  mile 
ahead  the  passengers  see  the  white,  stormy  waters  of  the  Long  Sault  stretch- 
ing from  shore  to  shore.  Now  the  real  fun  begins.  There  is  a  sudden  husii 
to  the  monotone  of  the  steamer's  pulsations.  We  are  irithe  grasp  of  the  cur- 
rent. Extra  men  are  at  the  wheel,  and  others  are  aft  in  charge  of  a  spare  tiller. 
If  you  are  inclined  to  be  nervous  now,  remember  that  steamers  have  been 
going  down  here  ever  since  1840,  and  no  passenger  vessel  has  ever  been 
wrecked  in  the  rapids.  The  first  plunge  is  over  a  cascade  at  "the  cellar,"  and 
is  exhilarating.  In  the  vast  expanse  of  broken  waters  fresh  sensations  await 
us.  Now  across  our  way  a  vast  green  billow,  like  the  oncoming  surge  of 
the  ocean  upon  soundings  after  a  nor'  easier,  disputes  our  passage.  It  is  of 
the  beautiful  green  where  the  sunlight  shows  through  its  wedge-like  cap  that 
one  sees  upon  the  coral  beds  of  Nassau,  or  at  the  deep  centre  of  the  Horse 
shoe  Fall  at  Niagara,  or  in  drug-store  jars.  It  does  not  rise  and  fall,  advance 
and  recede.  It  simply  stands  there  forever,  a  vast  wall  of  water  through 
which  wc  cleave  our  way  with  a  fierce,  brief  struggle,  only  to  meet  a  second, 
a  tliirtl,  a  fourth  like  wave  beyond. 

The  rapids  are  about  two  miles  in  length,  but  there  is  a  continuance  of 
reasonably  swi^t  water  for  several  miles  further.     The  actual  fight  between 


■■.!■■ 


NATURAL   SCENERY  AND   CELEBRATED   RESORTS.      169 

the  boat  and  the  angry  billows  is  over  in  less  than  three  minutes.  The  ini- 
jjortant  town  of  Cornwall,  where  several  large  factories  are  located,  is  shortly 
seen  upon  the  Canadian  shore.  After  leaving  Cornwall  we  bid  good-b)-  to 
American  soil,  for  here  the  international  boundary  line  intersects  the  river. 

Four  miles  below  Cornwall  the  Indian  village  of  St.  Regis  is  noted  on  the 
iiLjlit  shore.  We 
are  now  on  the 
broad  Lake  St. 
I'rancis,  which 
is  about  25  miles 
long.  We  pass 
tlie  village  of 
Lancaster  on 
the  left  shore  of 
tlie  lake,  when 
we  arrive  at  the 
riveroncemore. 
It  dashes  off  im- 
petuously just 
afterleavingthe 
village  of  Co- 
tcau  du  Lac, 
and  carries  us 
headlong  down 
the  "Coteau 
Rapids,"  which 
are  about  two 
miles  long;  then 
the  "  Cedars," 
three  miles,  and  down  thk  rai'ihs. 

the  Cascades,  the  village  at  the  foot  of  which  is  lie;>uharnois;  and  now  a 
second  lake  is  met,  as  if  the  river  dreaded  the  final  plunge  down  the  famous 
Lachine.  Passing  down  the  lake  we  soon  come  in  sight  of  the  gieat  city  of 
iVIontreal.  The  village  of  Lachine  is  simply  a  picturesque  suburb  of  the  city. 
The  reader  may  ask  why  the  curious  name,  La  Chine  (Tlic  China),  is  applied 
to  this  point.  It  is  said  that  the  earlier  voyagers  believed  that  the  St.  La'v- 
rence  opened  a  way  to  the  Pacific,  and  therefore  to  the  Flowery  Kingdom. 


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170       TIIK   GREAT  WOXDKRLANDS   OF   OUK    RKl'UHLIC. 

From  the  tlcck  of  the  steamer  the  passenger  may  see  the  bohl  oiitliii  , 
staiuUng  out  against  tlie  sunset,  of  a  huge  stone  watch-tower,  and  if  clu,,, 
enough  the  crumbhng  remains  of  two  stone  forts  built  to  protect  the  settK  • 
nients  along  Lake  St.  Louis  from  the  savages.  Onward  forges  our  speedy 
craft,  antl  ere  long  the  troubled  waters  of  Lachineare  seen  far  ahead,  a  snow  \ 
breastwork  across  our  path.  The  lake  is  again  a  river.  We  are  abreast  tlir 
village  of  Lachine,  where  the  canal  from  Montreal  debouches  into  the  St, 
Lawrence.  The  muddy  Ottawa  pours  its  tide  into  the  pure  blu  ,•  waters  in 
which  we  have  voyaged  since  morning,  as  the  Missouri  pollutes  the  Missis- 
sippi. We  are  drifting  steadily  down  toward  the  rapids.  The  bell  signals 
"go  ahead,"  and  the  Indian  i)ilot,  who  has  come  aboard  from  a  skiff,  takis 
supreme  command  at  the  whei^l.  A  little  while  later  and  v.'c  are  in  the  vortex  ; 
the  current  grows  swift  and  swifter;  all  the  mighty  outpouring  of  the  stream 
is  pent  up  in  a  single  channel;  all  the  bosom  of  the  river  is  covered  with  reels 
and  rocks.  The  boat  heads  this  way  anci  "ihat ;  down  we  plunge,  and  onward 
straight  toward  a  rocky  islet  I  Which  side?  Just  as  destruction  seems  im- 
minent, the  vessels  sweeps  round  to  the  right,  and  shoots  like  an  arrow 
between  two  sunken  ledges.  We  are  through,  ami  can  look  back  up  the 
watery  hill  we  have  descended,  and  admire  the  courage  of  the  men  who  first 
navigated  this  wonderful  channel. 

The  once  marvellous  Victoria  Bridge  comes  into  view.  In  a  few  moments 
we  steam  beneath  it  and  swing  around  the  dangerous  shoals  that  bar  the  ter- 
minus of  deep-water  navigation,  and  heading  up-stream  are  speedily  at  the 
lock,  within  which,  as  the  steamer  rises  to  the  upper  level,  the  passengers  arc 
landed.  In  Montreal,  an  account  of  which  is  given  elsewhere,  the  Windsor, 
stately  and  American  like,  plays  an  important  part  in  the  pleasures  of  spend- 
ing a  portion  of  each  year  upon  the  grand  and  changeless  St.  Lawrence.  It 
is  the  memory  of  happy  days  in  other  years  when  the  picture  of  care-free 
hours  has  included  our  warmest  friends,  the  whole  framed  with  the  exquisite 
environment  of  the  islands,  which  solaces  us  for  the  cold  and  cheerless  days 
of  winter  which  must  intervene  before  we  can  again  take  up  this  ideal  habit 
of  life.  All  indications  point  toward  a  brilliant  future  for  the  island  region 
and  the  tour  of  the  river. 


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CRESSON,    ON    TIIK   ALLKOIIENIICS,    I'A. 


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CRi:SSON. 


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'KRSSON,  one  of  tile  most  recently  developed  resorts  for  siiiuiiur 
travel  and  residence  and  an  especial  favorite  of  Philadelpliia,  fm. 
nishes  a  complete  contrast  to  that  city's  home-life  at  Ca])e  Ma\-  ,ii..; 
Atlantic  City.  It  is  in  Cambria  County,  I'emi.,  on  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad, 
and  15  miles  southwest  of  iVltoona,  102  miles  east  of  Tittsburfj,  and  252  niiK.;, 
west  by  north  of  I'hiladelphia.  It  is  on  the  ci'est  of  the  Allegheny  Mountains, 
at  an  elevation  of  2,300  feet  above  tide-level,  and  is  reached  in  ei^lu  huurs 
from  I'hiladelphia  and  four  from  I'ittsbiir^.  Heside  the  Mountain  I  louse  and 
the  public  cottages,  which  have  combineil  accommodations  for  about  \,2"0 
guests,  the  summit  and  sides  of  the  mountains  are  dotted  with  t.;slrlul 
resiliences.  The  air  of  the  locality  is  the  purest  on  the  continent,  and  i-  .i 
thorough  antidote  for  malaria  and  hay-fever.  The  hotel  is  built  on  a  wide 
plateau,  of  a  mixed  oriental  and  Queen  Anne  style  of  architecture,  and  is 
surrounded  by  extensive  grounds  laid  out  in  the  handsomest  forms  of  landscape 
gardening,  liut  a  little  back  of  the  building  is  an  attractive  stretch  of  wdod- 
land,  through  which  one  jjasses  into  the  heart  of  the  primeval  forest,  thickly 
studded  with  trees  of  enormous  growth.  Good  roads  lune  been  cut  throu!.;h 
this  forest  land,  one  of  which,  occupying  the  bed  of  the  old  I'ortage,  furnislu-, 
an  unusually  romantic  drive.  The  Portage,  with  its  then  inclined  planes,  was 
formerly  used  by  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  in  its  wonderful  climb  over  the 
mountains,  and  in  its  day  was  one  of  the  engineering  wonders  of  the  con- 
tineiit.  Ik^yond  the  benefits  of  the  air  and  the  charm  of  the  locality,  Cressi.  1 
has  already  achieved  wide  renown  for  the  purity  and  medicinal  properties  of 
its  numerous  springs.  These  are  of  magnesia,  alum,  iron,  and  one  that 
scientists  have  pronounced  to  be  absolutely  and  faultlessly  pure  water.  As 
a  natural  sanitarium  Cresson  is  provided  with  all  the  reijuisites  for  coaxing 
robust  health,  restful  recreation,  and  good  fellowship,  and  its  reputation  grows 
daily  wider  and  stronger. 


LEWISTOWN    NARROWS. 

EWISTOWN,  the  capital  of  Mififlin  County,  Penn.,  is  renowned  in 
legend  and  history  as  the  home  of  the  famous  Mingo  Indian  chief, 
Logan,  who  was  converted  to  Christianity  by  Moravian  mission- 
aries, and  whose  pathetic  speech  beginning:  "  I  appeal  to  any  white  man  to 


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174       THE   GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OF   OUR    REPUBLIC. 

sdv  if  over  he  entered  Logan's  cabin  hungry  and  he  gave  him  not  meat?"  and 
closing:  "  Who  is  there  to  mourn  for  Logan?  Not  one,"  is  familiar  to  evcr\ 
schoolboy  in  the  land.  The  neighborhood  of  tiie  town  abounds  in  natural 
curiosities,  none  of  which  are  more  interesting  than  the  caves.  Alexandei '. 
Ca\e.  in  Kishicoquillas  Valley,  is  full  of  stalactitic  and  stalagmitic  formations, 
antl  preserves  in  solid  shape  through  the  summer  the  ice  formed  in  winter; 
Hanewall's  Cave,  near  McVeytown,  is  enormous  in  proportions,  and  contaill-^ 
calcareous  concretions  and  much  commercial  saltpeter,  lievins's  Cave  is  on 
<:hc  summit  of  a  limestone  ridge,  and  near  it  was  a  noted  Indian  mound,  full 
of  bones,  pottery,  war  weapons,  and  arrow-heads,  which  was  razed  f<n-  tlu 
construction  of  the  canal.  Lewistown  itself  is  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Juniata 
River,  so  famed  in  song  and  romance,  was  laid  out  in  1790,  and  incorporated 
in  I  y(j^,  and  contains  two  furnaces,  two  tanneries,  three  flour-mills,  two  carriage 
factories,  large  boiler  works,  and  numerous  minor  industries.  There  are  six 
churches,  three  banks,  an  academy,  several  large  hotels,  and  substantial  cou:ity 
buililings.  It  is  60  miles  from  Ilarrisburg  on  the  I'ennsylvania  Railroad,  and 
controls  a  large  trade.  Population  of  Mifflin  County,  1880,  17,508;  of  Lewis 
town.  3.222. 

The  Lewistown  Narrows,  which  appear  in  the  illustration,  are  formed  by 
the  Black  Log  Mountain  on  the  stiutli,  ami  the  Shade  Mountain  on  the  north, 
and  are  directly  east  of  the  town,  and  between  it  and  Mifflin.  iVs  may  be 
seen,  the  mountains  rise  abruptly  from  the  river,  and  in  many  places  attain  a 
height  of  over  1,000  feet.  A  dense  forest  growth  spreads  over  their  sides, 
which  would  give  the  gorge  an  appearance  of  deep  gloom  were  it  not  for  the 
weird  contrast  of  lights  and  shadows  when  the  sun  pencils  the  verdure.  With 
few  exceptions  the  giant  walls  are  unbroken,  and  between  them  the  ri\'er 
flows  as  placidh-  as  if  it  had  never  occasion  to  form  its  beautiful  channel  by 
erosi\e  action. 


fi'^rHr* .-;!' 


THE   HORSESHOE   CURVE. 

OON  after  leaving  the  city  of  .Vltoona,  the  tourist  on  the  Pennsyl- 
vania Railroad  becomes  aware  by  a  peculiar  motion  of  the  train  as 
well  as  the  ajiparent  downward  tendenc}'  of  the  surrounding 
scenery,  that  the  locomoti\'e  has  begun  its  marvellous  feat  of  mountain  climb- 
ing. The  roadbed  changes  from  the  level  to  a  grade  of  something  over  ninety 
feet  to  the  mile.  ■    As  the  train  steatlily  ascends,  the  valley  appears  to  sink  and 


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176      THE   GREAT  WOxNDERLANDS   OF   OUR    REPUBLIC: 

the  perspective,  instead  of  narrowing  by  natural  laws,  seems  to  widen  aiiii 
deepen.  New  formations  of  scenery  break  upon  the  view  at  every  glanci. 
The  valley  becomes  a  gorge,  and  the  cottages  below  diminish  to  mere  specks 
on  the  green  drapery  of  the  mountain.  Up  and  still  upward  the  train  pr>  • 
ceeds,  till  at  Kittanning  Point,  242  miles  from  New  York,  the  road  winds 
around  a  curve  in  a  manner  at  once  thrilling  and  bewildering,  and  at  thesanu; 
time  suggestive  of  extreme  engineering  confidence  and  skill.  The  vallc} , 
along  which  the  train  has  moved  for  six  miles,  then  separates  into  two 
chasms,  where  nature  seems  to  have  said:  "Thus  far  shalt  thou  go  and  no 
farther."  But  the  mind  of  man  has  achieved  a  remarkable  triumph  over  tlic 
material  barrier;  and  by  building  a  great  horseshoe  shaped  roadbed,  carrying 
it  over  both  chasms  on  a  high  embankment,  and  extending  it  arounil  the 
enormous  western  wall,  he  has  provided  a  way  for  the  train  to  resume  its 
singular  transit. 

When  the  point  of  the  curve  depicted  in  the  illustration  is  reached,  the 
tourist  has  before  him  a  unique  delusion.  The  sides  of  the  curve  are  parallel 
with  each  other,  and  many  a  wager  has  been  laid  upon  the  direction  in  which 
various  trains  are  moving,  for  their  actual  course  is  directly  opposite  their  ap- 
parent course.  On  entering  the  new  pass  the  train  continues  its  ascent  through 
the  very  heart  of  the  great  dividing  range  of  the  continent.  At  AUegrippus 
the  scene  begins  to  change.  The  mountains  seem  to  sink  and  the  valleys  rise. 
A  rugged  plane  gradually  gives  way  to  mountain  walls.  Furnaces,  mills,  and 
cottager  are  disclosed.  Evidences  of  vast  mining  operations  are  discovered 
just  as  the  train  rushes  through  a  night-black  tunnel,  and  a  moment  later  the 
tourist  is  being  whirled  over  the  summit  of  the  range,  at  an  elevation  of  over 
2.000  feet  above  sea-level.  Kittanning  Point  is  named  from  a  great  Indian 
path  or  trail,  between  Kittanning  and  the  valley  of  the  Delaware  River,  w  hich 
crossed  the  mountain  through  this  gorge. 


GREENWOOD   LAKE. 

MONG  the  summer  resorts  which  have  become  popular  within  a  com- 
paratively recent  period  Greenwood  Lake  is  one  of  the  most  at- 
tractive. The  village  is  situated  in  Orange  County,  New  York,  but 
the  lake,  which  is  the  principal  attraction,  lies  partly  in  this  county  and  partly 
in   Passaic  County,  New  Jersey. 

The  lake  is  some  ten  miles  long  by  one  mile  wide,  and  lies  about  1,000  feet 


.  .!.  'I 


NATURAL   SCENERY   AND   CELEBRATED   RESORTS.      177 

above  the  level  of  the  sea.  It  has  been  called  the  miniature  Lake  George, 
and  in  picturesque  beauty  is  a  close  rival  of  the  most  famous  lakes  either  in 
this  country  or  in  Europe.  The  water  is  deep  and  clear  and  is  also  quite  cold. 
Fish  of  various  kinds,  including  bass  and  pickerel,  abound  and  are  easily 
taken.  There  are  excellent  facilities  for  sailing  and  bathing.  Those  who 
prefer  the  woods  to  the  water  will  find  beautiful  walks  and  charming  retreats 
upon  the  hills  and  mountains  by  which  the  lake  is  surrounded.  Only  two  or 
three  miles  from  the  lake  is  a  picturesque  glen  and  a  series  of  cascades  of 
remarkable  beauty.  Wild  flowers  and  ferns  abound  and  several  .species  of 
game  birds  find  their  home  in  this  secluded  region. 

Several  hotels  furnish  ample  accommodations  for  visitors.  Those  who 
prefer  to  "  camp  out  "  can  find  plenty  of  suitable  and  attractive  places  either 
by  the  shore,  or  upon  the  small  islands  which  the  lake  contains.  The  distance 
from  New  York  is  only  forty-nine  miles.  The  trip  is  made  by  the  New  York 
and  Greenwood  Lake  division  of  the  Erie  Railroad  as  far  as  Sterling  Forest. 
From  this  point,  a  distance  of  five  miles,  the  visitor  is  conveyed  by  a  steamer, 
bclDnging  to  the  same  corporation,  to  the  village,  which  is  located  at  the  head 
of  the  lake.  The  scenery  for  nearly  the  whole  distance  along  the  line  of  the 
railroad  is  very  fine  and  the  sail  on  the  lake  at  the  close  of  the  trip  is  both 
charming  and  refreshing.  The  town  has  a  permanent  population  of  about 
250,  and  is  supplied  with  churches,  schools,  and  stores.  It  also  contains  a 
sanitarium  for  poor  children  of  Newark,  New  Jersey,  maintained  by  benevo- 
lent people,  where  each  summer  many  hundreds  of  the  little  ones  are  given  a 
brief  period  of  unalloyed  pleasure. 


CONEY   ISLAND. 

ITHIN  the  past  few  years  Coney  Island  has  become  one  of  the  most 
famous  summer  resorts  in  the  United  States  and  it  now  has  but 
few  equals  in  any  part  of  the  world.  In  point  of  area  it  is  a  small 
island,  being  only  about  five  miles  in  length  with  an  average  width  of  less 
than  one  mile.  It  lies  in  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  west  of  Long  Island,  from  which 
it  is  separated  by  a  small  creek,  and  forms  a  part  of  the  township  of  Graves- 
end,  in  Kings  County,  N.  Y.  It  w  as  discovered  by  Henry  Hudson  in  Septem 
bcr,  160Q,  and  was  the  first  point  in  the  State  of  New  York  at  which  Euro- 
peans landed.     The  island  was  then  inhabited  by  Indians.     Since  its  discovery 


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178       THE   GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OF   OUR    REPUBLIC: 

it  has  been  considerably  diminislied  in  size  by  the  encroachments  of  the  se.i, 
As  lately  as  1800  quite  a  proportion  of  the  land  was  under  cultivation  aiici 
the  farmers  were  greatly  troubled  with  rabbits  and  foxes.  In  i8ig  a  hotel 
was  built,  but,  with  everything  else  that  was  movable,  it  was  swept  away  b\ 
a  violent  storm  in  1821.  The  retreating  tide  left  the  island  almost  entirclv 
barren  and  in  that  condition  it  has  remained  until  the  present  day.  With 
the  e.xception  of  only  about  sixty  acres  the  surface  is  almost  entirely  covered 
with  sand. 

By  the  year  1830  the  island  had  become  so  well  known  as  a  pleasure  resort 
that  a  turnpike  road  was  built  to  connect  it  with  Brooklyn.  A  stage,  running 
once  a  day,  was  soon  put  on  and  a  steamboat  line  from  New  York  wa,^ 
opened.  The  first  horse  railroad  to  the  island  was  built  about  1865  and  a 
road  for  steam  cars  was  soon  afterward  constructed.  By  these  means  the 
number  of  visitors  was  considerably  increased,  but  nothing  like  a  genr  ral  in- 
terest on  the  part  of  the  vast  population  in  the  vicinity  was  awakened  until 
1874.  Up  to  this  time  only  a  small  portion  of  the  island,  at  the  extreme  west 
end,  was  used.  There  were  a  small  number  of  restaurants  and  bathing-houses 
of  cheap  construction,  but  no  fine  buildings  had  been  erected  and  the  beacli 
was  almost  wholly  bare  and  desohite. 

But  in  1874  the  Prospect  Park  and  Coney  Island  Railroad  was  opened, 
hotels  were  built,  and  many  and  varied  attractions  were  added  by  capitalists 
who  invested  their  money  liberally  and,  as  the  event  proved,  wisely,  in  order 
to  make  the  island  a  really  popular  summer  resort.  During  the  succeeding 
four  years  there  was  an  almost  marvellous  change.  Many  very  large  and 
costly  hotels  were  erected,  hundreds  of  fine  bathing-houses  built,  and  places 
of  amusement  of  various  kinds  and  in  large  numbers  were  also  constructed. 
Tiiis  was  the  beginning  of  an  era  of  great  and  permanent  prosperity  for  the 
island.  Popular  interest  has  appeared  to  increase  )'ear  by  year,  and  multi- 
tudes of  people  from  New  York,  Brooklyn,  Jersey  City,  Newark,  and  other 
cities  in  the  vicinity  visit  the  island  many  times  during  the  summer. 

There  are  various  reasons  why  Coney  Island  should  be  an  exceedingi}' 
popular  summer  resort.  It  has  a  magnificent  beach  e.xtending  five  miles 
along  the  Atlantic.  The  undertow  is  slight  and  there  is  a  very  gratlual  in- 
crease in  the  depth  of  the  water.  Consec,  uently,  it  is  one  of  the  safest  places 
for  bathing  which  can  be  found  along  the  coast.  The  island  is  also  very  easy 
of  access  from  several  great  centres  of  population.  It  is  distant  only  five  miles 
from  Brooklyn,  and  ten  miles  from  New  York.     There  are  several  railroads 


NATURi 

and  steamboats 
room  enough  fo 
most  fastidious 
gether,"  not  ex; 
are  open  to  bot 
one  class  as  it  i 
classes  obtains  1 
From  Prosp 
feet  wide  and 
course  is  a  broa 
city  of  Brookly 
two  immense  ir 
They  are  each 
the  other  125  f 
nades,  open-air 
and  furnish  lai 
day  in  summer 
Among  the 
The  Manhattai 
400  feet  from 
ocean  frontage 
celebrated  raci 
warm  season. 

The  four  d 

Beach,  West  1 

and  also  by  r; 

the  most  arist 

masses.      Her 

attention  at  tl 

an  elevation  c 

of  the  ocean. 

Here,  too,  is 

elephant.     Tl 

this  portion  t 

Coney  Island 

thought,  tha 

people  to  thi 


I 


NATURAL   SCENERY   AND   CELEBRATED   RESORTS.      179 

and  steamboats  by  which  it  can  be  reached  quickly  and  ciieaply.  Tliere  is 
room  enough  for  all,  and  attractions  which  will  gratify  every  taste  from  the 
most  fastidious  to  the  least  critical.  Here  "the  rich  and  the  poor  meet  to- 
gether," not  exactly  on  terms  of  social  equality,  of  course,  but  the  same  views 
arc  open  to  both,  the  air  is  as  fresh  and  cool,  and  the  sea  is  as  inviting  to  the 
one  class  as  it  is  to  the  other.  It  would  be  hard  to  say  which  of  the  two 
classes  obtains  the  greatest  degree  of  enjoyment. 

From  Prospect  Park  in  Brooklyn  there  is  a  magnificent  drive,  some  200 
feet  wide  and  five  miles  long,  to  the  Concourse  on  the  island.  This  Con- 
course is  a  broad,  asphalt  roadway  a  mile  in  length,  under  the  control  of  the 
city  of  Brooklyn  and  maintained  for  a  drive  and  walk.  Near  this  drive  are 
two  immense  iron  piers,  which  extend  some  1,000  or  1,200  feet  into  the  ocean. 
They  are  each  about  50  feet  wide,  but  near  t'^e  outer  end  one  is  about  85  and 
tile  other  125  feet  in  width.  These  piers  furnish  excellent  places  for  prome- 
nades, open-air  concerts,  and  restaurants.  They  also  accommodate  bathers 
and  furnish  landing  places  for  the  numerous  steamers  which  every  pleasant 
day  in  summer  bring  many  thousands  of  people  to  the  island. 

Among  the  numerous  hotels  on  Coney  Island  are  several  of  immense  size. 
The  Manhattan  Hotel  faces  the  ocean  for  600  feet,  and  at  high  tide  is  only 
400  feet  from  the  water.  The  Brighton  Beach  Hotel  has  about  the  same 
ocean  frontage,  is  525  feet  wide  and  five  stories  high.  Near  this  hotel  is  a 
celebrated  race-course,  where  horse  races  are  hi;ld  almost  daily  during  the 
warm  season. 

The  four  divisions  of  Coney  Island,  known  as  Manhattan  Beach,  Brighton 
Beach,  West  Brighton,  and  the  West  End,  are  connected  by  carriage  roads, 
and  also  by  railway.  The  former  is  at  the  eastern  extremity  and  is  by  far 
the  most  aristocratic  portion.  West  Brighto  1  is  the  most  popular  with  the 
masses.  Here  is  located  one  of  the  observatories  which  attracted  much 
attention  at  the  Centennial  Exhibition  in  Philadelphia  and  by  means  of  which 
an  elevation  of  300  feet  may  be  attained.  From  this  point  magnificent  views 
of  the  ocean,  and  of  the  many  cities  and  towns  in  the  vicinity,  may  be  secured, 
ilere,  too,  is  the  famous  hotel  which  is  built  in  the  form  of  an  immense 
elephant.  There  is  also  an  aquarium,  and  many  other  objects  of  interest  on 
tills  portion  of  the  island.  Considering  the  man>'  and  \aried  attractions  at 
Coney  Island,  perhaps  it  is  not  str.'nge,  though  it  certainly  appears  so  at  first 
tliought,  that  each  summer  the  railroads  alone  carry  more  than  2,000,000 
people  to  this  beautiful  resort. 


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LONG   BRANCH. 

MONG  the  fashionable  seaside  resorts  of  the  United  States  there  is 
none  which  has  a  hi<^her  standing  than  Lonjr  Branch.  The  <:;reat 
popularity  of  the  place  is  due  to  numerous  causes.  Among  tlunn 
may  be  named  its  beautiful  location;  its  splendid  beach;  the  fine  drives;  tlic 
beauty  of  the  atljoining  inland  region  ,  the  elegance  of  the  buildings  uiul 
grounds,  ujion  which  vast  sums  of  money  have  been  expended ;  the  excellent 
facilities  for  reaching  it  from  New  York,  Philadelphia,  and  other  cities,  and 
from  numerous  smaller  places;  and  the  ample  accommodations  which  aiL' 
])rovided  for  all  visitors.  It  long  ago  became  a  favorite  resort  for  tlu' 
wealthy  and  fashionable  classes  of  the  eastern  portion  of  the  countrj-.  It  is 
also  visited  by  thousands  of  people  of  more  limited  means. 

Long  Branch  is  situated  in  Monmouth  County,  N.  J.,  on  the  coast  of  the 
-Atlantic  Ocean.  It  lies  about  thirty  miles  south  of  New  York  City.  Its  name 
is  sail!  to  have  been  derived  from  a  brook  upon  which  the  Indians  former!)- 
h.ivl  important  fisheries.  The  original  settlement  was  made  quite  early  in  the 
hi-tory  of  th.;  country,  but  it  did  not  become  prominent  for  a  long  period. 
It  \v;is  located  about  a  mile  from  the  shore,  but  the  newer  and  fashionable 
jKirtion  of  the  town  has  been  built  upon  the  bluff,  about  twenty  feet  in  height, 
which  rises  almost  directly  from  the  beach.  Tiiis  bluff  is  covered  with  vege- 
tation and  the  landscape  is  very  attractive.  The  presence  of  many  large  trees 
aJ.tis  greatly  to  the  beauty  of  the  scene,  and  to  the  comfort  of  the  summer 
residents.  The  beach  which,  within  the  town  limits,  extends  more  than  four 
miles,  is  one  of  the  finest  in  the  country,  and  the  bathing  is  unsurpassed.  A 
fine  carriage  road  upon  the  bluff  gives  a  beautiful  drive  extending  for  several 
miles  and  constantly  keeping  near  the  sea.  Those  who  are  particular!)-  in- 
terested in  fast  horses  will  find  Monmouth  Park  a  centre  of  attraction.  The 
course,  which  cost  a  quarter  of  a  .nillion  dollars,  is  very  fine  and  races  are 
frequent  and  exciting. 

Some  of  the  finest  hotels  and  many  of  the  most  elegant  and  costly  summer 
residences  in  the  country,  are  found  at  Long  Branch.  The  grounds  around 
man\-  of  these  residences  are  fitted  up  in  magnificent  style.  The  place  is 
divided  into  several  sections,  known  as  North  Long  Branch,  Long  Branch. 
Long  Branch  City,  West  Long  Branch,  West  End,  Deal  Beach,  and  Elberon. 
Each  section  has  post  office  facilities,  but  all  lie  within  the  corporate  limits 


THE   GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OF   OUR    REPUBLIC.       i8i 

of  Long  Branch.  Several  other  famous  watering  places  are  only  a  few  miles 
au.iy.  Long  Branch  has  churches,  banks,  and  newspapers.  Its  permanent 
]>(<pulation  is  about  6,500,  and  it  has  a  summer  population  of  from  25,000  to 

30,000. 


ASBURY  PARK  AND  OCEAN  GROVE. 

LTHOUGH  a  comparatively  new  town,  Asbury  Park  has  become 
one  of  the  most  famous  of  our  sea-side  resorts.  It  is  located  in 
Monmouth  County.  New  Jersej',  fifty-one  miles  from  New  York 
City,  and  five  miles  south  of  Long  Branch.  It  is  about  seventy  miles  from 
Philadelphia,  and  is  easily  reached  from  all  prominent  points. 

It  seems  hard  to  believe  that  as  lately  as  1869  the  region  now  embraced 
\\  ithin  the  corporate  limits  of  this  celebrated  resort  was  an  unbroken  wilder- 
iicss.  But  such  is  the  fact.  In  that  year  Mr.  James  A.  Bradley,  of  New  York 
City,  purchased  a  tract  of  land  one  mile  square,  for  which  he  paid  890,000. 
Here  he  determined  to  found  a  strictly  temperance  town.  All  the  deeds 
wliich  he  gave  prohibited  the  manufacture  and  sale  of  intoxicants  on  the 
property  thus  conveyed.  The  penalty  of  violation  of  this  clause  was  to  be 
the  reversion  of  the  land  to  the  seller.  The  strict  enforcement  of  temper- 
ance principles  has  been  continued  to  the  present  time. 

In  1872  the  place  was  incorporated  as  a  borough  and  its  government  dele- 
t^.ited  to  seven  commissioners,  three  of  whom  were  to  be  non-residents.  Its 
affairs  have  been  wisely  managed,  the  town  has  made  a  rapid  growth,  and  is 
in  a  prosperous  condition. 

Asbury  Park  has  an  excellent  beach  of  white  sand.  There  is  a  fine  drive- 
way by  the  shore  and  a  plank  promenade,  a  mile  or  more  in  length,  extends 
along  the  ocean  front.  It  is  furnished  with  seats  and  has  several  pavilions 
extending  into  the  water.  The  surf  bathing  is  good  and  there  is  a  beautiful 
i;rove  close  by.  The  place  is  well  laid  out,  with  wide  streets,  has  gas  works. 
Is  supplied  with  excellent  water,  maintains  a  good  fire  department,  and  has  a 
complete  system  of  sewerage. 

The  250  hotels  and  boarding  houses  furnish  ample  accommodations  for 
the  thousands  of  visitors  who  from  all  parts  of  the  country  come  to  Asbury 
Park  every  season.  Some  of  these  hotels  are  among  the  best  in  the  country, 
and  there  are  large  numbers  of  fine  private  residences.  There  are  churches 
of  different   denominations,  three  public   halls,  good   schools,   several   news- 


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papers,  published  daily  during  the  season,  and  two  national  banks.     THliu 
are  also  manufactories  of  various  kinds  which  do  considerable  business. 

Within  the  limits  of  Asbury  Park  are  several  lakes,  which  are  quite  pretty 
in  themselves  and  which  furnish  the  best  of  facilities  for  boating  and  fishiiii;. 
It  would  seem  that,  as  far  as  outward  things  are  concerned,  everything  necckil 
to  make  one  happy  could  here  be  found,  The  climate  is  remarkably  fine  a  nil 
attracts  a  large  nuir.hei  of  winter  visitors,  for  whose  accommodation  some  of 
the  hotels  are  kept  open  during  that  seison.  The  population  numbers  about 
3,0iX)  during  the  winter,  anr'  <'rom  n3,ooo  to  30,000  in  the  summer  months. 

Just  south  of  Asbury  i',t!;.:,  ai,  i  separated  from  it  only  by  a  small  lake 
over  which  two  pretty  iron  rdges  '^  ve  been  built,  lies  another,  and  an 
equally  noted,  resorfr  named  Ocean  Grove.  A  single  railroad  station  accom- 
modates both  places,  and  in  the  attractions  which  they  present  and  the  prin- 
ciples upon  which  they  are  governed  the  two  are  very  nearly  alike. 

Twenty  years  ago  the  present  site  of  Ocean  Grove  was  covered  with  a 
growth  of  pine  trees.  Thinking  it  would  be  a  good  place  for  their  out-of- 
door  services  some  Methodists  made  a  small  clearing  and  started  a  camp- 
meeting.  The  fine  beach  and  pleasant  surroundings  attracted  many  people  of 
this  and  of  other  denominations,  and  the  place  soon  became  not  only  a  centre 
for  great  religious  meetings,  but  also  a  famous  pleasure  resort. 

Ocean  Grove  is  controlled  by  the  Ocean  Grove  Camp  Meeting  Associa- 
tion. Like  its  neighbor,  Asbury  Park,  its  affairs  are  managed  upon  strictly 
temperance  principles.  The  sale  of  intoxicants  within  one  mile  of  the  town 
is  absolutely  prohibited,  and  there  are  various  other  restrictions  designed  to 
promote  the  quiet  and  prosperity  of  the  people.  A  tabernacle  has  been 
erected  which  is  said  to  accommodate  10,000  people,  and  has  additional 
buildings  capable  of  seating  about  5,000.  Abundant  provision  is  made  for 
recreation  as  well  as  for  devotional  exercises,  and  the  place  is  as  truly  a  plea- 
sure resort,  of  the  highest  and  best  kind,  as  it  is  a  centre  of  religious  activity. 

There  are  a  large  number  of  hotels  and  hundreds  of  cottages,  while  multi- 
tudes of  people  live  in  tents  during  their  stay  at  this  unique  resort.  The 
streets  are  wide  and  at  night  are  lighted  by  electricity,  artesian  wells  supply 
plenty  of  water  of  the  purest  quality,  and  the  sanitary  conditions  are  excel- 
lent. There  is  an  ocean  frontage  of  a  mile,  with  all  facilities  for  bathing,  and 
the  beautiful  lakes  in  the  vicinity  are  pleasant  resorts  for  those  who  delight 
in  boating  or  fishing.  The  permanent  population  is  about  1,200  and  the 
summer  visitors  number  some  20,000  to  30,000. 


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*  -:  '■'',<, 


ATLANTIC  CITY. 


7x)JV6t)||  TLANTIC  CITY  is  one  of  the  most  popular  ocean  resorts  in  the 
^tirjlfe'  United  States,  and  is  especially  notable  as  possessing  exceptional 
jSL^yJ^- !|     advanta^Ljes  as  a  winter  resort  as  well.     Many  eminent  phj'sicians  in 


Northern  cities  who  have  been  in  the  habit  of  recommeiuIin<;  I*'lorida,  Colcr.ido, 
and  California  to  their  pidmoiiar)'  patients  for  climatic  relief,  are  now  ui\4iiii^ 
the  advantaj^es  of  Atlantic  City  durinj;  the  winter  r..onths ;  and  hundreds  of 
the  leaders  and  followers  of  Fasliion  in  Xew  York  and  Philadelphia  run  down 
there  for  a  few  weeks  of  rest  and  recuperation.  A  number  of  tlie  hotels  are 
kept  open  the  )'ear  round,  anil  the  rest  are  the  earliest  to  o|)en  and  the  last  to 
close  for  tlie  strictly  summer  season.  The  resort  is  thus  rapiill}'  becon.in;^ 
the  A'lierican  Brighton  and  Marj^ate,  and  like  ther.i  its  seasons  attain  a 
"  height  "  twice  a  year,  tiurinj;  the  usual  summer  weeks  of  sea-s' 'e  loiterint; 
and  in  the  months  of  March  and  April. 

Atlantic  City  is  situatetl  in  .\tlantic  County,  N.  J.,  on  Absecum  Beach,  a 
sandy  island  extending  from  Absecum  Inlet  on  the  north  to  (ireat  K^;^ 
Harljor  Inlet  on  the  south,  ten  miles  lon^^  and  nearly  one  mile  wide,  ami 
separated  from  the  mainland  by  a  strait  locally  known  as  "  Thorouj^hfare." 
It  is  sixty  miles  southeast  of  Philadelphia,  w  ith  which  it  is  connected  by  three 
railroads,  two  broad  Ljaui^je  and  one  narrow  ,L;au^e,  and  is  reached  in  ninety 
minutes  from  the  (Juaker  City,  at  an  ordinarj'  cost  of  §1  for  the  round  trip, 
antl  of  fift)' cents  for  numerous  s[)ecial  excursicMis.  The  railroads  maintain 
several  excursion  houses  at  the  southern  end  of  the  island  for  trip  or  day 
tourists,  and  there  are  ninet\-four  hotels,  beside  man)'  cottages  and  board- 
int^  houses,  furnishing  an  aLj;4re^ate  accommodation  for  40.OCX5  time  or  sea- 
son [guests.  The  city  was  incorporated  1S54,  has  Roman  Catholic,  Protestant 
Episcopal,  Methodist  Episcopal,  Presbyterian,  antl  Friends'  churches,  and 
publishes  regular  and  season  newspapers. 

The  lonj^  avenues,  named  after  the  different  oceans,  stretching  up  and 
down  the  island,  and  the  cross  streets,  bearing  the  names  of  the  \arious 
States  in  the  American  Union,  and  running  down  to  the  water's  edge,  are  all 
delightful  drives.  The  sandy  roads  are  kept  well  sprinkled,  hard  as  concrete, 
and  free  from  dast;  and  in  the  early  morning  and  late  afternoon  are  fiUetl 
with  phaetons,  victorias,  and  larger  vehicles  of  the  richest  style.  At  low  tide 
the  beach  is  a  most  attractive  place  for  driving,  and  the  horses  go  prancing 


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IN(.       Till",    (iKi:Ar   WONDKUI.ANDS   OF   OL'U    KKPl'HLIC 


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and  p.ittt'iiiii^f  ()\LT  tln'  li.ird  ?,iii(l  ju>t  mit  of  rcin.!)  nf  tlic  u .i\ cs  for  mil.  ^ 
aloiij;  tlic  coast.  /\l  low  tick',  also,  the  .nhciituroiis  walk  out  in  the  waki  f 
the  surf  to  a  distance  that  would  surprise  them  could  they  accurately  nieasui 
it  when  the  tide  was  full.  The  bathin;^  is  superb,  there  are  ample  facilitii  -. 
for  the  little  folks  to  disport  in  the  sand  to  their  heart's  content,  and  bathin- 
and  playing  are  adetpiatel)-  guarded  against  dani^er.  A  striking  feature  i.| 
/vtlantic  City  as  a  seaside  resort  is  the  lar^e  number  of  private  cottaj^i  s, 
owned  chiefl)'  b\'  the  business  men  of  Philadelphia,  and  occupied  by  theii 
families  throujjh  and  bejond  the  season.  Permanent  population,  iS^j, 
1,043;   1880,5,477;   1885,7,94:;;   1889,  10,150. 


CAPE    MAY   CITY 


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i88       THE   G.IEAT  WONDERLANDS   OF   OUR    REPUBLIC. 

season,"  regattas,  concerts,  balls,  and  the  choicest  social  diversions.  Wiiiiin 
a  few  minutes'  ride  by  rail  is  Cape  May  Point,  a  delightful  suburb  of  the  oh!,  r 
city.  The  Point  is  charmingly  situated,  and,  as  its  name  indicates,  is  the 
treme  southern  end  of  the  New  jersey  coast.  With  Delaware  Kay  on  tlic 
west,  and  the  Atlantic  Ocean  on  the  east  and  south,  the  cape  presents  whit 
is  justly  considered  not  only  the  best  but  the  safest  bathing-ground  on  ilic 
entire  coast  of  the  United  States.  Thousands  of  bathers,  of  all  ages  .mkI 
both  sexes,  sport  in  the  waters,  while  white  sails  and  puffing  steamers  glitlo 
by,  in  plain  sight  of  the  beach,  to  all  parts  of  the  world.  A  magnificent 
drive,  fifty  feet  wide,  extends  along  the  whole  sea  front,  flanked  on  the  occ;ui 
side  by  a  broad  promenade  ten  feet  wide,  that  sweeps  along  in  graceful  curves 
for  a  distance  of  nearly  two  miles,  and  is  as  smooth  as  a  ball-room  floor. 

Tho  principal  avenues  of  the  city  are  covered  with  shells  from  the  se;i, 
well  rolled,  sprinkled,  and  kept  free  from  dust.  The  hotels  and  cottages — 
there  are  thirty-one  of  the  former  with  accommodations  for  6.000  guests — are 
in  close  proximit)'  to  the  unsurpassed  beach,  and  the  latter  are  so  numerous 
and  tasteful  as  to  justify  the  popular  name  of  "  The  Summer  City  by  the  Sea." 
Though  well-known  and  appreciated  long  before  society  demandetl  sumptu- 
ous wa}s  and  means  of  combining  pleasure  and  recreation  at  seashore  ami 
on  mountain  annually.  Cape  ^L'ly  City  has  gradually  become  a  summer  suburl) 
of  Philadelpliia,  to  which  the  wealth,  culture,  and  refinement  of  the  world  are 
made  welcome.     Permanent  population,  1889,  2,000. 


OLD    POINT  COMFORT. 


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LD  POINT  COMFORT  is  not  only  one  of  the  oldest  hygienic 
resorts  in  the  United  States,  but  it  is  one  of  the  very  few  old  ones 
whose  popularit)'  has  not  been  suffered  to  wane  with  time.  Its 
climate  is  unsurpassed  for  salubrity,  and  it  possesses  a  marked  advantage  in  its 
equability.  Tiie  averages  in  thermometer  range  during  a  period  of  ten  years 
were  48  ,  52°,  and  63'  in  spring;  60",  74'',  and  76°  in  summer;  70°,  59°,  and  46'^ 
in  autumn ;  and  45°,  44",  and  42°  in  winter.  This  record  shows  an  absence  of 
sudden  and  depressing  changes  in  temperature  which  commends  the  resort  to 
the  really  sick,  the  invalid,  and  the  convalescent.  It  is,  too,  for  this  reason, 
a  favorite  stopping-place  for  invalids  seeking  recuperation  in  the  balmy 
groves  and  beside  the  tropical  waters  of  Florida,  as  well  as  those  returning 


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I90      THE   GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OF   OUR    REPUHLIC. 


<<] 


therefrom  with  a  dread  of  encountering  the  weather  of  northern  mDiiilis. 
Boating,  fishing,  bathing,  and  the  delights  of  Lynhaven  oysters,  may  In-  ■■n. 
joyed  there  almost  the  year  round,  and  with  the  choicest,  safest,  and  most 
pleasurable  accompaniments. 

Old  Point  Comfort,  as  the  place  was  generally  known  before  the  civil  war, 
or  Fortress  Monroe,  as  it  has  since  been  designated,  is  14  miles  from  Norfolk, 
Va.,  and  from  the  historic  Hampton,  and  may  be  reached  by  steamers  from 
New  York,  Washington,  Richmond,  Norfolk,  and  Yorktown,  and  from  P„ihi 
more  by  steamers  connecting  with  through  trains  from  New  York,  PhilaiK  1- 
phia,  and  all  northern  points.  It  is  built  on  a  sandy  projection  from  the  main- 
land on  the  western  side  of  Chesapeake  Bay,  and  its  great  hotel — the  Hy^Lia 
—stands  upon  the  beach  at  the  head  of  the  broad  and  substantial  landing  con- 
structed by  the  Federal  government.  The  unique  defensive  work,  the  only 
fortification  in  the  country  denominated  a  fortress,  built  in  1816-19  at  a  cost 
of  nearly  $3,000,000,  and  designed  by  the  French  engineer,  Lieut. -GcMKr.il 
Bernard,  for  a  fortified  post  like  those  of  European  countries  rather  than  ,1 
fort  as  Americans  understand  the  word,  is  close  to  the  hotel,  and  offers  many 
attractions  to  the  tourist.  It  was  the  first  landing-place  in  Virginia  of  tlic 
famous  Army  of  the  Potomac  and  the  point  of  its  departure  for  home  four 
years  later.  It  contains  the  chief  artillery  school  of  the  army,  and  a  notal)lc 
war  museum,  and  has  a  grand  military  band  that  plays  morning  and  evenini^ 
at  guard  mount  and  dress  parade.  The  National  Soldiers'  Home,  the  National 
Normal  and  Agricultural  College,  and  the  quaint  old  town  of  Hampton,  arc  a 
few  miles  away  bj- an  admirable  shell  road;  and  Norfolk,  Portsmouth,  and 
Newport  News,  the  scene  of  the  momentous  fight  between  the  "  iron-clatls  " 
Mo/ii/or  (Union)  and  Mcrriiitack  (Confederate)  in  1862,  arc  points  of  destina- 
tion for  pleasant  sails.  From  the  balcony  of  the  hotel  or  its  two  miles  of  sun- 
shaded  verandas,  a  grand  view  of  Hampton  Roads  and  Chesapeake  Bay  is 
obtained,  and  in  the  evening  the  glimmering  lights  of  the  lighthouses  on  Cape 
Henry  and  Cape  Charles  may  be  discerned.  There  is  a  constant  panorama 
of  vessels  of  all  classes  and  every  maritime  nation  passing  to  and  fro  in  the 
ofifing;  and  nearly  every  day  brings  new  scenes  to  divert  the  attention  and 
relieve  the  <.'yc.  The  evenings  are  one  enjoyable  r'lund  of  social  festivity. 
Army  and  navy  officers  in  full  or  tasteful  undress  uniform  mingle  among  the 
belles  of  the  No;  th  and  South,  and  add  a  vast  charm  ^  the  german  and  other 
popular  diversions.  Life  there  seems  a  dream  tha',  like  all  happy  dreams, 
ends  far  too  soon.  \ 


','1 


THE   WHITE   SULPHUR   SPRINGS. 

HE  WHITE  SULPHUR  SPRINGS,  known  also  as  "  The  Old 
White,"  and  "The  Greenbrier"  Springs,  are  located  in  Greenbrier 
County,  West  Virginia.  This  county  is  not  far  from  the  central 
portion  of  the  State  measuring  from  north  to  south,  and  it  joins  the  State  of 
Virginia  on  the  east.  The  Springs  are  easily  reached  from  Richmond,  a  dis- 
tance of  about  227  miles,  by  the  Chesapeake  and  Ohio  Railroad.  They  arc 
also  readily  accessible  from  other  large  cities,  there  being  excellent  railroad 
communication  with  all  principal  points  throughout  the  country. 

The  town  is  located  in  a  valley  which  lies  among  high  and  beautiful  moun- 
tains which  are  only  a  fev  miles  away  from  the  Springs.  The  valley  itself  is 
nearly  2,ooo  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  It  forms  an  immense  lawn  upon 
which  the  grass  grows  lu.\uriantly  and  which  contains  hundreds  of  beautiful 
forest  trees.  Among  the  mountains  in  the  vicinity  are  Kate's,  and  Alleghany, 
the  latter  a  large  and  beautiful  peak,  and  the  Greenbrier  range.  The  scenery, 
both  in  the  immediat«e  region  of  the  Springs  and  as  far  as  the  eye  can  reach, 
is  extremely  beautiful.  All  around  Nature  has  been  lavish  in  the  distribution 
of  her  charms. 

The  medicinal  spring,  which  has  become  famous  the  world  over,  was  prob- 
ably discovered  in  1778.  It  is  certain  that  its  waters  have  been  used  with 
most  gratifying  results  ever  since  thnt  date.  I'"or  about  a  century  the  town 
has  been  a  fashion;;  ole  resort  as  well  as  a  sanitarium.  Large  numbers  of  cele- 
brated people  gather  here  every  summer.  The)-  come  from  variou-  portions 
of  the  country,  but  i.ne  South,  is,  as  would  naturally  be  expected,  the  most 
fully  represented.  On  account  of  the  wealth  and  high  position  of  a  large 
])art  of  its  patrons,  as  well  as  for  the  medicinal  character  of  the  waters,  this 
region  has  been  styled  "  the  Saratoga  of  the  South." 

The  spring  yields  about  thirty  gallons  of  water  per  minute  and  the  quan- 
tity is  remarkably  uniform  during  all  seasons.  It  is  subject  to  no  special 
modification  either  by  excessive  rainfall  or  by  long-continued  drought. 
Neither  does  its  temperature  change,  in  summer  or  winter,  from  62°.  The 
water  is  used  in  a  large  class  of  diseases  and  is  remarkably  efficacious.  This 
is  especially  true  in  cases  of  rheumatism,  diseases  of  the  liver,  dyspepsia  and 
malaria.     The  ex'ternal  use  of  the  w;rter  is  also  highly  beneficial  in  the  treat- 


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If 


192      TIIK   GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OF   OUR    REPUHLIC- 

Hiciit  of  skin  diseases.  While  the  water  acts  as  a  cathartic  and  diui>  tic,  its 
>;n  uti  excellence  over  the  waters  of  other  mineral  springs  is  seen  in  its  up.. 
mediate  and  powerful  effects  as  an  alterative. 

The  climate  in  the  region  of  the  springs  is  remarkably  fine  and  does  nuK'h 
for  the  restoration  to  health  of  the  invalids  and  for  preserving  the  healtii  (  f 
the  >\e'l.  The  mercury  seldom  rises  much  above  80°  in  the  summer,  ant!  (.lur- 
ing the  hottest  weather  the  nights  are  cool.  The  air  is  very  clear  and  in- 
vigorating, which,  with  the  moderate  temperature,  makes  out-of-door  exercise 
very  pleasant  as  well  as  highly  beneficial. 

The  hotel  accommodations  are  ample  and  there  are  numerous  cottages  for 
those  who  wish  to  avoid  the  excitement  and  fatigue  incident  to  fashionahlc 
life  at  a  crowded  watering  place. 

The  White  Sulphur  is  located  near  the  centre  of  a  region  remarkable  for 
the  number,  variety,  and  importance  of  its  medicinal  springs.  The  lint 
Springs,  located  in  the  Warm  Spring  Valley,  some  thirty  miles  north,  prcro 
very  beneficial  in  many  diseases.  The  temperature  of  the  water  at  son  t.  of 
these  springs  reaches  110°.  At  only  a  short  distance  there  are  oth.er  spr;r/.,is 
in  which  the  temperature  of  the  water  is  only  50°.  A  few  miles  from  the-i 
springs  are  what  are  known  as  the  Warm  Springs.  They  lie  in  a  beautifi;«l 
valle\-,  nc.irly  1,000  feet  below  the  surrounding  region.  The  temperature  of 
tlie  water  is  98°.  The  (juantit)-  of  water  yielded  by  these  springs  is  immense. 
The  water  is  used  both  for  drinking  and  bathing  and  has  effected  mar>\-  r  • 
markable  cures.  From  this  point  the  Healing  Springs  are  only  a  few  miles 
distant.  They  are  four  in  number  and  a.e  m'^st  beautifully  located.  The 
temperature  of  the  waters  is  85 ",  ind  theyfl-"  t  iroughout  tlie  year.  It  is 
claimed  that  both  in  the  constituents  revealeo  b)-  chemical  'inalysis  of  the 
water  ^nd  in  the  effects  of  its  use  these  springs  are  eciiial  to  some  of  the  most 
famous  springs  of  Germany  and  of  this  country.  The  water  is  us'ed  internally 
and  for  bathing. 

Some  sixteen  miles  east  of  tlK  White  Sulphur  .Spri«igs  are  the  Sweit 
Springs,  and  the  Sweet  Chalybeate  Springs.  The  water  of  the  Sweet  Springs 
has  a  temperature  of  y^"  and  it  is  strong!)'  impregnated  with  carbonic  acid. 
Its  use  is  said  to  be  eminently  beneficial  in  cases  of  rheumatism  and  neur.d- 
g'  ■..  The  .Sweet  Chalybeate  Springs  are  two  in  number,  varying  principally 
in  the  proportions  f)f  iron  which  they  contain.  The  temperature  of  the 
water  is  from  75"^  to  79°.  The  (piantit)'  of  water  yielded  by  these  springs  is 
V':i"y  great.     TJke  that   of  the  o+iier  springs  the  waters  4fe  used   both  inter- 


NATUR 

n.iUy  and   extc 
Springs  are  thi 
„f  the  waters. 
l)een  famed  fo 
nccount  of  the 
l,y  the  constru 
are  beautiful!) 
In-  which  the 
Reaching  the 
some  ten  feet 
he  reaches  th( 
the  shape  of 
sulphur,  and 
.1  similar  natv 
no  similar  spt 
In  the  sar 
other  springs 
popularity,  tl 
virions  kind: 
beautiful.     H 
springs  whic 
Spring  Regie 


it  an  object 
Jekyl  Is 
Brunswick, 
1735  by  nc 
oak  trees,  ^ 
George  Wl 
loo,  was  n 
settlers  or 


NATURAL   SCENERV   AND   CELEBRATED    RESORTS.       193 

n.illy  ;uul  externally.  About  forty  miles  southwest  of  the  While  Sulnlnr 
Springs  are  the  Red  Sulphur  Springs,  also  celebrated  for  the  curati\c  effects 
(.1  the  waters.  They  are  located  in  Monroe  County,  West  Virginia,  and  liave 
bucn  famed  for  half  a  century,  but  until  recently  were  not  largely  visited  on 
account  of  the  difificulty  of  reaching  them.  This  objection  has  been  removed 
by  the  construction  of  a  fine  carriage  road  from  Lowell  Station.  The  sjjrings 
arc  beautifully  located  in  a  valley  lying  several  hundred  feet  below  the  road 
1)\-  which  the  traveller  winds  around  the  mountains  on  his  journey  thither. 
Reaching  the  valley  the  visitor  finds  two  springs  issuing  from  marble  cisterns, 
some  ten  feet  below  the  surrounding  surface.  Descending  a  series  of  ste])s 
lie  reaches  the  springs  and  finds  himself  under  a  beautiful  pavilion  built  in 
the  shape  of  a  Greek  temple.  The  water  contains  phosphorus  as  well  as 
sulphur,  and  is  said  to  be  a  specific  remedy  for  consumption  and  diseases  of 
,1  similar  nature.  With  the  exception  of  the  Eaux-Bonne^  in  the  Pyrenees, 
:io  similar  spring  is  known  in  the  world. 

In  the  same  region  as  those  which  have  been  mentioned  are  numerous 
other  springs  of  lesser  note,  but  many  of  them  having  quite  a  degree  of  local 
jjopularity,  their  waters  proving  very  useful  in  the  treatment  of  diseases  of 
various  kinds.  The  natural  scenery  around  some  of  these  springs  is  also 
beautiful.  Both  on  account  of  the  number  and  the  valuable  character  of  the 
springs  which  it  contains,  this  section  has  been  very  properly  called  "  The 
Si)ring  Region  "  of  this  portion  of  the  L^nited  States. 


JEKYL    ISLAND. 


LTHOUGH  belonging  to  a  private  corporation,  this  new,  yet  famous, 
resort  is  entitled  to  a  brief  description.     Its  intrinsic  charms  and 
the  unique  principles  upon  which  it  is  managed,  combine  to  make 
it  an  object  of  popular  interest. 

Jekyl  Island  is  situated  in  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  about  eight  miles  from 
Hrunswick,  Georgia,  itself  not  unknown  to  fame.  The  town  was  laid  out  in 
1735  by  no  less  a  personage  than  General  Oglethorpe,  .md  under  one  of  its 
oak  trees,  whicii  is  still  standing,  the  illustrious  preachers  John  Weslej-  and 
deorge  Whitefield  delivered  some  of  their  powerful  discourses.  The  Island, 
too,  \>as  nott'd  in  "  the  olden  time,"  not.  howe\er.  for  the  eminence  of  its 
settlers  or  its  visitors,  but  for   tlie  hiyii  quality  and  great  value  of  its  cotton 


194       THE   GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OF   OUR    REPUBLIC; 


■i'(i: 


?lrr' 


<t;> 


crop.  Here  a  large  quantity  of  the  long-fibre  Sea  Island  cotton  was  produced 
with  great  profit  to  the  owners  of  the  soil.  The  demand  for  this  gracK  .  f 
cotton  having  largely  decreased,  and  the  plantations  being  somewhat  difficult 
to  manage  under  the  conditions  which  now  prevail,  the  islands  which  wcro 
formerly  devoted  to  this  crop  have  been  largely  given  over  to  other  purposes. 

Early  in  1886  an  association  of  wealthy  gentlemen  purchased  Jckyl  Island, 
with  the  house  and  live  stock  then  upon  it,  for  $125,000,  and  formed  the  Jck\  1 
Island  Club  to  control  the  property.  A  large  part  of  the  members  wcrr 
Northern  men  of  wealth  and  leisure  who  wished  a  winter  resort  which  in  c'vn\- 
respect  should  be  the  equal  of  Newport  as  a  place  of  residence  in  sumnu  1. 
After  the  purchase  was  effected  an  elegant  hotel  was  built  at  a  cost  of  about 
$60,000  and  various  improvements  in  the  appearance  and  condition  of  tlic 
property  were  nsade.  The  number  of  members  of  the  club  is  limited  to  100, 
and  the  annual  dues  of  each  are  Sioo.  In  the  spring  of  1889,  there  were 
about  seventy-five  members,  and  the  price  of  admission  had  advanced  to  §4,- 
500.  Members  art-  allowed  to  bring  their  families,  but  are  obliged  to  pay  for 
their  board.  A  number  of  fine  cottages  have  been  erected  for  members  of 
the  club,  and  a  larg^c  building  for  their  sixty  employees. 

The  island  is  about  ten  miles  long  and  two-and-a-half  miles  wide.  Giinu- 
had  been  carefullj'  j^reserved  by  the  former  owne  for  at  least  a  century,  iind 
quail,  woodcock,  and  s  lipe,  abound.  Wild  turkeys  .ire  also  found,  and  there 
are  a  few  deer,  and  seveinl  hundred  wild  hogs.  The  ocean  front  is  of  fine, 
white  sand.  It  is  quite  wide  and  furnishes  an  excellent  driveway.  There  arc 
also  the  best  of  facilities  for  sea  bathing.  On  the  inland  shore  is  a  large  and 
prolific  oyster  bed  from  which  bivalves  of  the  finest  quality  are  obtained. 
The  fishing  is  very  fine  and  the  opportunities  for  yachting  are  unsurpassed. 
Many  members  of  the  club  are  owners  of  yachts,  and  numerous  fine  craft  of 
this  description  may  be  found  here  during  the  season.  The  island  contains 
several  ])onds,  some  of  which  are  fresh  water,  and  quite  a  quantity  of  oak  and 
])ine  timber,  which  <idds  to  the  beauty  of  the  landscape  and  furnishes  shelter 
for  game. 

As  the  island  is  ''  j-ther  nort'i  than  the  fever  line  and  receives  breezes  from 
both  the  land  and  sea,  iis  rln'i:;te  is  very  pleasant  and  healthful.  There  is 
ncMic  of  the  lassitude  which  affects  the  residents  of  heated  regions,  and  the 
pi, ice  is  free  from  mosquitoes  ami  various  other  ills  which  prove  serious  draw- 
backs to  many  popular  resorts.  Grounds  have  been  laid  out  for  the  \  nious 
games,  including  polo;  gas  has  been  introduced,  and  an  abundant  supply  of 


NATURAL   SCENKKY   AND   CELKHRATEU    RESORTS.       19c 

pure  water  is  obtained  from  an  artesian  well.  In  fact,  everythin*^  needed  for 
the  comfort  and  pleasure  of  the  members  of  the  club  seems  to  have  either 
appeared  naturally  or  been  added  by  man,  and  we  can  easily  believe  the 
statement  of  a  visitor  who  asserts  that  Jekyl  Island  "  has  not  its  equal,  north 
or  south." 


ST.  JOHN'S    RIVER. 

HE  ST.  JOHN'S  RIVER  in  Florida  is  in  many  respects  one  of 
the  most  attractive  and  interesting  streams  on  the  entire  conti- 
nent. It  is  in  every  characteristic  a  perfect  antipode  of  the  ro;::-- 
ing,  rushing,  city  fringed  and  commerce-ladened  St.  Lawrence;  a  river  of 
surprising,  enchanting  beau- 
ty; a  river  of  peace  and 
([uietness.  It  has  its  rise  in 
Lake  Washington,  between 
latitude  28°  and  29°  north, 
aiui  longitude  80°  and  8l° 
west,  and  empties  into  the 
Atlantic  Ocean  between 
latitude  30"  and  31°  north 
and  longitude  81°  and  82° 
west.  From  its  source  just 
below  the  northern  bound- 
ary of  Hrevard  County,  it 
soon  forms  and  maintains 
for  a  long  distance  the 
txiundary  between  Volusia 
and  Orange  Counties; 
above  Lake  George  it  flows 
nn    the    cast   of    Clay    and  in  tmk  ukakt  m-  the  oka\(;k  rfiiion. 

Putnam  Counties  and  on  the  west  of  St.  Johns  and  a  portion  of  Duval  Coun- 
ties,  and  finds  its  outlet  in  the  latter.  From  source  to  mouth  it  passes  through 
numerous  lakes,  among  them  the  cluster  of  which  Lake  Monroe  is  chief,  and 
then  through  Lake  George,  the  largest  in  the  State.  Between  Palatka  on 
the  south  and  Jacksonville  on  the  north,  it  spreads  out  over  a  much  greater 
area,  and  after  a  considerable  narrowing  at   its  turning  point  near  Jackson- 


iMi''  -'I'm ml 


'\% 


196       Till'    (;RI:AT   won DKR lands    of    our    RRPUHLIC: 

villc  it  a;4ain  widens  on  its  eastward  flow  to  tlic  ocean.  At  Jacksonvili(  ,  ;1\- 
first  cit)'  below  its  mouth,  it  has  a  wiilth  of  2,390  feet  and  a  mean  rise  a'iil 
fall  of  one  foot,  thence  to  its  source  it  is  irrejjuiar  in  width,  depth,  and  cur 
rent,  but  in\ariably  clear  and  always  attractive. 

The  steamboat  trip  up  the  river  be<^ins  at  Jacksonville.  At  Picolata  a 
stop[)a|^e  is  made  to  let  off  passenjjers  who  desire  to  reach  St.  Augustine  \>y 
the  inside  route,  and  such  are  conveyed  acrcxss  the  narrow  strip  of  countr\  in 
iitages.     The  first  place  of  consequence  at  which  the  boat  stops  is  Mandarin, 

eleven  miles  beyond  Jack- 
sonville, and  famous  as 
containing  the  valuable 
orange  grove  of  Mrs.  1  lar- 
riet  lieecher  Stowc.  lUi 
house  is  surroundid  l)y 
some  magnificent  li\i' 
oaks,  and  the  grove  lies 
just  back  of  it.  Hetwecn 
M  a  n  d  a  r  i  n  and  Lake 
George  are  many  settle- 
ments, all  of  exceeding 
beaut}-  and  all  rontainini^r 
orange  groves.  They  con 
sist.  general!)',  of  a  long 
wharf,  a  freight  house,  a 
hotel  or  two,  a  church, 
perhaps,  and  several  pri- 
vate residences,  all  built  of  wo(h1  and  j)ainted  white.  Among  them  are  Mag- 
nolia, Ilibernia,  Licolata,  Green  Cove  Springs,  and  Palatka.  The  two  Litter 
are  the  most  important.  Green  Cove  Springs  tlerives  its  name  from  a  large 
sulphur  spring  in  its  midst,  and  is  a  most  charming  place.  Numerous  jiatlis 
lia\e  been  cut  through  its  wealth  of  fcM'est,  ever  swaj'ing  with  its  parasitic 
drapery,  and  hither  hie  the  young  and  romantic  sojourners  of  Jacksoiu  ille 
for  a  season  of  cjuiet  communion  w  ith  tropical  nature  and  themsehes.  I'a- 
latka  is  the  largest  town  on  the  river  excej)!  Jacksonville,  and  is  noted  alike 
for  its  comforts  as  a  winter  resort  and  for  its  manufactures  of  moss  into  stuf- 
finj^f  for  mattresses  and  cushions.  Large  quantities  of  vanilla  leaves,  from  a 
ground   plant   that  grows  v,i!J  in    Florida.  ;tnd  when   dried    emits   a   delicious 


THE  I.dVFRS'   WALK,    (IRKKN   COVK   Sl'RIN'r.. 


NATURAL   SCENERY   AND   CELEBRATED   RESORTS.      197 

perfume,  are  iilso  j)rcparcd  here  for  use  as  an  adullera.it  aiul  a  scent  in  the 
manufacture  of  tobacco.  Lake  George  is  apparently  twenty  miles  long  by 
about  twelve  Lroad.  Its  surface  is  dappled  at  the  edges  by  vast  i*-  'ular 
fields  of  lilypads.  As  the  steamer  passes  onward,  countless  ducks  swarm  up 
from  among  these  pads  and  blacken  the  sky  in  all  directions,  and  thousands 
more,  in  no  wise  alarmed  at  the  passage  of  the  boat,  sit  like  black  dots  among 
tlu;  broad,  green  leaves  as  far  on  every  side  as  the  eye  can  discern. 

After  the  boat  has  made  the  passage  of  the  lake,  it  enters  a  portion  of  the 
liver  averaging  from  50  to 
1 50  feet  in  width.  The  lux- 
uriance of  the  vegetation  is 
,is  astonishing  to  Northern 
eyes  as  the  trjes  are  novel. 
Palmettos  spread  out  their 
immense  vivid  green,  fan- 
like leaves;  pines  rear  their 
loft)-  deep  green  heads, 
from  the  base  of  which  long 
streamers  of  gray  moss  float 
on  the  wind;  cypresses, 
.vliite  and  bare,  except  for 
hall-like  clumps  of  mistle- 
toe or  here  and  there  a  half 
withered  bunch  of  tiny 
leaves,   and    the    inevitable 

moss  between  them.    Vines  ^'^'-  uAvn)'s  path,  green  cove  spring. 

i;ro\v  everywhere,  and  along  the  banks  trail  in  masses,  sweeping  the  dark 
waters  with  their  leafy  fringe.  Here  are  seen  the  swallow-tailed  hawk,  a 
rare  and  beautiful  bird,  with  gray  back  and  wings  and  snow-white  breast, 
the  water  turkey,  the  white  crane,  the  blue  heron,  and,  in  the  warm  r  onths, 
any  quantity  of  alligators  of  all  ages  sunning  themselves  on  the  river  bank. 
Ihe  long  moss  which  hangs  in  such  profusion  from  the  cypresses  and  live- 
oaks  of  the  South  is  an  epiphyte;  growing  upon  trees,  but  deriving  no 
n  )urishment  from  them.  Having  no  roots,  it  hangs  in  festoons  and  clus- 
ters as  if  thrown  over  the  branches  by  accident.  Its  flowers  are  incon- 
spicuous, and  their  seeds  are  so  light  that  they  are  blown  easily  through 
the  foliage,  vegetating  wherever  they  fall.     The    parasite   differs   from   the 


lii4)lft,*i"M  ■   '    1     ■*.■■    J*'     !? 


II 


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198     THE  (;ri:at  \vuMn:RLAM>s  ui-  our  Ri-:rr!',i  ic-. 

epiphyte  ill  tliat  it  not  only  grows  upon  tlio  tree,  but  dcrivLs  nomislu, 
from  it.  The  cabbage  palm  or  palmetto,  so  abundant  in  this  localit)-,  Lis  ^ 
terminal  bud  somewhat  resembling  a  cabbage.  Tliis  is  edible,  but  it  is  di  ah 
to  the  tree  to  remove  it.  The  branches  of  many  of  the  large  trees  are  eim  1- 
oped  with  the  bright  scarlet  sprays  of  the  air-plant,  a  si)ecies  of  tillaiKisi.i. 
and  of  the  same  family  as  the  long  gray  moss,  though  so  curiouslj-  diffiiciii 
in  general  appearance.  The  scarlet  tillandsia  looks  like  a  small  pine.ipnl.: 
and  li;is  a  tlower  stock  composed  of  branches  like  heads  of  rj-e,  of  the  i)ri!.lit- 
est  scarlet;  the  stamens  are  of  a  rich  a/.ure-ukie,  tipped  with  golden  antlu  is. 

The  dew  accumulates 
within  the  trough-like 
leaves,  and  thus  the  p!;mi 
is  cared  for  during  the 
dry  season.  This  plant 
sometimes  germinates 
upon  a  rail-fence  or  1 
dead  tree,  and  fastening 
its  twine-like  roots 
around  the  wood,  seems 
to  thrive  as  well  tlu're  as 
upon  the  t  r  u  n  k  s  and 
branches  of  living  trees. 
The  mistletoe,  wiiieh 
grows  upon  the  oaks  of 
England,  is  of  parasitic 
origin,  and  also  abounds 
in  Florida.  There  are  nearly  a  dozen  specimens  of  the  tillandsia  family 
growing  in  this  part  of  the  State;  some  of  them  very  delicate  and  wax-like, 
climbing  the  trunks  of  trees  and  drooping  in  festoons  from  tlieir  branches. 
Flowering  plants  abound  here  in  the  greatest  profusion,  and  frequently  old 
friends  of  the  Northern  hothouse  are  met  with  that  seem  out  of  place,  yet 
are  in  their  own  homes. 

The  course  of  the  tourist  lies  through  three  more  lakes,  Dexter,  lieresford, 
and  Monroe,  and  stoppages  are  made  at  Blue  Spring,  Volusia,  Cabbage  Bluff, 
Manhattan,  Orange  Mound,  Sanford,  Melonville,  Enterprise,  and  other  land- 
ings. As  the  entire  trip  is  an  exceedingly  leisurely  one,  where  haste  is 
utterly  out  of  the  range  of  possibility,  it  should  not  be  undertaken  on  limited 


O.V     rilli    CieKLAWAIIA. 


NATURAL   SCKNERY   AND   CELKHRATKl)    RKSORTS.       lyy 

time.  When  one  can  be  unconcerned  in  this  respect,  it  will  be  found  very 
delightful  to  layover  a  trip  at  any  of  the  "towns"  possessing  a  ht)tcl,  and 
alter  feasting  on  the  prodigality  of  nature  in  her  tropical  attire  in  one  place, 
re-embark  for  another.  A  short  distance  from  the  river  bank  on  either  side 
w  ill  be  found  the  most  beautiful  parks  and  gardens,  and  the  great  groves  of 
oranges  for  which  Florida  is  famous  the  world  over.  One  can  scarcely  tire 
(if  a  tramp  here.  The  trees  seem  greener,  the  flowers  brighter,  their  perfume 
sweeter  than  elsewhere;  it  is  a  perfect  paradise  of  bird-life.  Here  and  there 
along  the  riverbank,  be- 
side some  tributary 
stream,  or  in  the  interior, 
will  be  found  some  noble 
live  oak  or  cluster  of 
pine,  maple,  or  cypress, 
auiunij  whose  moss-cov- 
ered branches  a  wooden 
balcony  or  observator)' 
has  been  built,  where  a 
(Iiliciously  lazy  sicstn 
may  be  spent.  The  Ock- 
iawaha,  which  empties 
into  the  St.  Johns,  is  a  S 
large  stream,  and  a  great 
resort  for  excursion  par- 
ties from  I'alatka  and  En- 
terprise, who  charter  a  steamboat  and  run  up  it  several  miles  for  the  purpose 
of  shooting  alligators  and  wild  turkeys,  fishing,  and  having  a  good  time 
generally. 

No  trip  to  this  region  is  properly  completed  that  does  not  comprise  a 
L;limi)se  of  a  Florida  everglade.  Beside  the  great  tract  in  which  the  Semi- 
nole Indians  fought  the  United  States  troops  and  some  of  their  best  strate- 
i;ists  so  many  years,  there  are  patches  more  accessible  to  the  pleasure-seeker 
<if  to-day.  Formed  in  a  low,  yet  not  absolutely  level  country,  these  magnifi- 
cent examples  of  semi-tropical  richness  strike  the  beholder  with  surprise. 
An  experienced  European  traveller,  after  revelling  among  the  beautiful  open 
ings  which  occur  in  the  swampy  scenery  of  the  peninsula,  wrote  that  "  it 
seems  a  waste  of  nature's  grandest   exhibition  to  have  thepe  carnivals  of 


A   I.IVE  OAK    OllSKRVATURY. 


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IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


A 


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1.4 


2.5 
2.2 

1.8 


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Photographic 

Sciences 

Corporation 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  14SS0 

(716)873-4503 


200      THE   GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OF   OUR    REPUBLIC: 


;     .'. 


splendid  vegetation  occurring  in  isolated  places,  where  it  is  but  seldom  they 
are  seen  by  the  appreciative  eye  of  cultivated  and  intellectual  observers." 
Nature,  certainly,  is  here  bountiful  to  a  marvellous  extent.  Grand  towcriiij^r 
trunks,  loaded  with  strange  parasitic  plants,  and  vines  of  enormous  diinm. 

sions,  like  huge  serpc  r,ts, 
coiling  around  them, com- 
bined with  the  singular 
forms  of  air-plants  that 
vie  in  color  with  the  birds 
and  insects  that  aliglu 
upon  their  blosson  s, 
comprise  a  scene  xta  ro 
frequently  expanded  in 
the  mysterious  labyrinths 
of  dreamland  than  on  the 
more  tangible  earth. 

As  a  permanent  win- 
ter   resort,    Florida   is 
without  a  peer.     At  .^^t. 
Augustine  and  Jackson 
AN  EVERGLADE.  ^jUg  ^^.jn  ^e  found  somc 

of  the  largest  and  handsomest  hotels  in  the  line  of  pleasure  travel  anywhere, 
while  the  smaller  towns  on  the  St.  John's  River  are  well  provided  with 
hostelries  that,  if  not  of  metropolitan  proportions  and  accommodations, 
afford  all  necessary  comforts,  including,  in  general,  good  board. 


i''t 


Wi 


SCENES    IN    TEXAS    AND    THE 
GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 

F  the  tourist  chooses  to  visit  the  "  Sunny  South,"  instead  of  the  far 
West  or  the  still  more  distant  regions  at  the  northwestern  corner 
of  our  national  domain,  he  will  be  wise  if  he  makes  the  journey 
during  the  cold  season  of  the  year.  While  to  people  who  are  acclimated, 
the  heat  of  summer  in  the  localities  to  which  we  now  turn  our  attention  is 
not  extremely  severe,  the   Northern  man  going  there  in  the  mid-summer 


■(}" 


1.    ill 


NATURAL  SCENERY  AND  CELEBRATED   RESORTS.      201 

months  would  find  it  somewhat  enervating.  But  during  other  seasons  it  is 
generally  agreeable.  And  the  traveller  from  the  North  will  at  this  time 
avoid  the  rigors  of  the  severe  climate  which  he  would  experience  if  he  re- 
ir.ained  at  home.  Thus  there  will  be  a  double  gain  in  making  the  trip  in  the 
autumn  or  winter.  The  marked  contrast,  too,  between  the  scenery  at  home 
and  that  which  will  come 
under  the  observation  of 
the  tourist  in  the  South 
will  add  a  charm  to  what 
would,  aside  from  this  ele 
nient  of  variety,  be  really 
delightful. 

The  scenery  of  the  re- 
gion we  now  propose  to 
enter  is  very  different  from 
that  of  the  Northwest. 
While  it  is,  in  its  finest  lo- 
calities, far  from  tame,  it 
is  characterized  by  beauty 
far  more  than  it  is  by 
grandeur.  There  is  less 
of  the  sublime  and  the 
overpowering.  Nature 
presents  herself  in  quiet 
grace  rather  than  in  ma- 
jestic form.  But  pictu- 
resque scenes  abound, and 
their  lovely  images  will 
permanently  remain  upon 
the  mind  of  the  beholder. 

For  various  reasons 
St.  Louis  will  be  the  best 
point  of  departure.  But  before  leaving  the  city  and  commencing  our  search 
for  natural  wonder^  we  shall  do  well  to  pay  a  brief  visit  to  one  of  the  mar- 
vellous  works  of  man,  the  steel  arch  bridge  across  the  Mississippi  River. 
The  end  spans  of  this  wonderful  structure  are  each  504  feet  in  length  and 
the  centre  span  measures  522  feet,     tt  was  built  under  the  direction  of  Cap- 


A    SCENK  ON    HIE   MlSSIbSIl'l'l    KIVER,  SOUTH    OF   ST.  I.OUIS. 
On  line  of  St.  Louis,  Iron  Mountain  and  Southern  Railway. 


I'  ^.\m 


mm 


l;M 


1..  v'l'^Wj';;,:.; 


ii  iimi-M  m 


202      THE   GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OF  OUR   REPUBLIC: 


;-v„,.;;; 


fi'-':  1'  '* 


1'|-:i 


tain  James  B.  Eads,  and  is  said  to  be  the  finest  work  of  the  kind  in  the  world. 
Captain  Eads  had  proposed  to  erect  a  suspension  bridge  at  this  point  at  .n. 
estimated  expense  of  $6oo,ooo,  but  his  plan  was  defeated  on  the  ground  tl;,:t 
it  involved  too  great  an  outlay.  The  present  structure  cost  more  than  ten 
times  as  much,  the  exact  expense  being  given  as  $6,536,729.99. 

Leaving  St.  Louis  by  one  of  the  lines  of  the  Missouri  Pacific  Railroad 
there  will  be  many  fine  views  of  towns  and  cities  as  well  as  of  rural  scenes. 
For  quite  a  distance,  too,  we  shall  be  near  the  mighty  Mississippi   River, 


ON    IHE    MI'.RAMEC — MEW    OK   i;RANI>   CARoN,    SULPHUR   SPRlNtiS. 
On  line  of  Missouri  Paciflc  Railway. 

whose  surface  is  dotted  with  sailing  craft  of  numerous,  and  in  many  cases, 
very  peculiar  forms. 

When  the  Meramec  River  is  reached  the  land  becomes  more  broken,  and 
the  scenery  far  more  picturesque  and  delightful.  Not  the  least  element  of 
pleasure  is  found  in  tlie  frequent  changes  of  outline  which  are  observed. 
Here,  all  is  serenely  beauciful.  /.  little  farther  on  the  land  has  a  more 
rugged  appearance,  telling  of  great  convulsions  of  nature  in  the  distant  past. 
Hills  of  beautiful  form  are  close  to  the  track.  The  railroad  seems,  at  some 
points,  to  dispute  with   them   for  the    possession   of  the  river  bank.     Pictu- 


NATURAL   SCENERY  AND   CELEBRATED   RESORTS.      203 

rcsque  valleys  lie  between  the  hills.  Creeks  come  down  from  the  higher 
laiul  and  through  these  valleys  enter  the  river,  while  upon  the  hills  a  forest 
growth  adds  to  the  general  beauty. 

Yet,  while  there  is  in  general  a  subdued  character  to  the  scenery,  there 
arc  portions  of  the  route  upon  which  we  find  more  that  is  grand  and  inspir- 
ing^. Rocks  rising  from  near  the  river  bank,  and  within  a  few  feet  of  the 
track  of  the  railroad,  tower  aloft  like  the  spires  of  some  great  and  desolate 
cathedral.     The  bold  outh'nes,  the   rough   faces,  a:-   though   huge  rocks  had 


niE    MERAMEC — MOUTH    OF    KEIFKER   CREEK. 
JOa  line  of  Missouri  Pacific  Railway. 

been  piled  one  upon  another  by  some  mighty  power,  the  air  of  coldness  and 
desolation  which  pervades  these  great  pinnacles  relieved  slightly  by  the  few 
trees  which  appear  upon  their  tops,  combine  to  give  to  these  peculiar  towers 
a  sombre  yet  majestic  appearance. 

After  the  Meramec  River  is  passed,  the  country  presents  a  rugged  and 
broken  appearance.  The  hills  become  higher  and  more  numerous  and  the 
contrasts  in  the  scenery  are  more  sharply  defined.  Entering  the  Iron  Moun- 
tain region  the  elevations  increase  and  the  wildness  of  the  scenery  is  intensi- 
fied.    This  section  will  also  have  an  clement  of  interest  on  account  of  its  vast 


■I'll'*™ 

MmM. 


M  ... 


WM 


lit.  ;t'i 


P 

pi  <im 


Z04      THE   GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OF   OUR    REPUBLIC 


m  ■ 


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CAUlliUKAL   il'iktb,    U.N    lUK   MtUAMti  . 
On  line  of  Missouri  Pacific  Railway. 

with  but  small  proportions  of  phosphorus, 
sulphur,  or  other  deleterious  matters.  Dur 
ing  the  past  forty  years  about  1,000,000 
tons  of  ore  have  been  taken  from  this  point, 
and  the  supply  is  practically  inexhaustible. 
Among  the  natural  curiosities  in  the  vicin- 
ity is  the  famous  Balance  Rock,  an  enor- 
mous stone  of  which  only  a  small  portion 
t(niches  the  rocky  foundation  upon  which 
it  stands. 

Leaving  this  interesting  region  the 
tourist  passes  to  the  table  land  in  the 
southern  portion  of  the  State  known  as 
fhe  Ozark  Mountain  section.  The  line  of 
demarcation   between    the  two   regions  is 


minora!  wealth.  The  Iron  Moi;;i. 
tain  is  said  to  be  both  the  larL'est 
and  the  purest  body  of  iron  orejct 
discovered  in  any  portion  of  the 
world.  The  peak  rises  to  the  height 
of  228  feet  and  its  base  has  an  arcu 
of  500  acres.  The  ore  is  very  soft, 
of  e.xcellent  quality,  and  yields 
from  55  to  69  per  cent  of  iron.  It 
also  possesses  a  strong  magnetic 
quality.  A  number  of  furnaces 
have  been  erected,  and  quite  a  vil- 
lage has  grown  up  around  them, 
and  the  various  manufactories 
which  have  been  established  in 
their  vicinity.  There  are  several 
other  large  deposits  of  iron  ore  in 
this  portion  of  the  State.  Of  these 
the  most  important  is  the  Pilot 
Knob  Mountain.  This  is  an  im- 
mense deposit  of  ore  which  contains 
from  S3  to  60  per  cent  of  iron  and 


1 

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IfAl.A.Mb;    KOCK,    NtAR    I'lLor   K.NuB. 
On  line  of  the  Iron  Mountain  Route. 


m 


NATURAL   SCENERY  AND   CELEBRATED   RESORTS.      205 

not  very  distinct  and  by  some  writers  the  Iron 
Mountains  are  classed  with  the  Ozark.  The 
name,  however,  is  immaterial.  The  views  \vill 
1)L'  numerous  and  picturesque. 

Near  Arcadia,  a  station  only  three  miles 
beyond  Pilot  Knob,  is  a  most  beautiful  "shut 
in  "  of  a  creek  which  is  walled  by  hills  and  for- 
ests in  a  picturesque  manner.  The  traveller 
who  turns  from  his  course  for  a  few  hours  to 
visit  this  scene  of  beauty  will  not  have  cause 
to  regret  the  delay  which  it  has  occasioned. 

The  line  of  travel  is  in  the  direction  of 
Texas  and  passes  entirely  through  the  State 
of  Arkansas.  The  objective  point  of  the 
tourist  in  this  State  will  be  the  town  of  Hot 


,;'''i: 


IIIK    DI.ACK    KIVKK,    AKKANSAS. 
St.  LouiSf  Iron  Mutintain  and  Southern  Railway- 


Springs,  a  locality  w  i  d  c  1  y 
famed  for  its  wonderful  medi- 
cinal waters,  and  annually 
visited  by  many  thousands  of 
people  from  this  country  and 
by  considerable  numbers  from 
foreign  lands.  But  there  are 
many  other  places  of  interest 
on  the  route  and  the  tourist 
^  -  will  be  strongly  tempted  to 
turn  from  his  main  course  and 
spend  a  brief  period  in  these 
charming  retreats. 

Many  beautiful  scenes  will 
be  found  on  the   Black  River, 


1 


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206      THE   GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OF   OUR   REPUBLIC: 

sometimes  called  the  Big  Black  River  of  Missouri  and  Arkansas.  This  beau, 
tiful  stream  has  its  rise  in  Iron  County,  Missouri.  Until  it  reaches  the  Arkun 
sas  line  its  course  is  nearly  south,  but  after  entering  the  northern  portion  ( f 


IN   THK   t)ZAUK    MolMAINS — II  IK    SIHT-IN    UN    STOl'T  S   (  RK.F.K,    NKAR    AUCADIA. 
(•11  line  of  St.  I.ouis,  Iron  Mountain  and  Southern  Uailwuy. 


the  State  it  takes  a  southwesterly  direction,  which  it  maintains  until  it 
reaches  the  White  River  at  Jacksonport,  in  Arkansas.  The  course  of  the 
river  measures  about  350  miles.  Except  in  time  of  low  water,  steamers  pasy 
up  the  river  to  a  distance  of  lOO  miles.     The  scenic  attractions  are  in  the 


y  N 


NATURAL   SCENERY   AND   CRLEKRATED   RESORTS.      207 

line  of  beauty  rather  than  in  the  direction  of  granileur  and  magnificence. 
About  many  of  the  locahties  t'lere  is  a  quiet  and  restful  churm  which  causes 
the  visitor  to  linger  long  in  their  presence  and  leave  them,  at  last,  with  regret. 

Another  jjoint  of  interest,  and  one  which  should -certainly  be  visited,  is 
IJttlc  Rock,  tl:c  capital  of  the  Scate  and  a  great  railroad  centre.  It  is 
located  in  the  central  part  of  the  State,  on  the  Arkansas  River,  and  some  250 
miles  aboV'C  its  mouth.  Up  to  this  point  the  river  flows  through  a  low  coun- 
try and  during  more  than  half  the  year  is  navigable  for  large  steamers.  Op- 
|)()site  the  city  the  river  is  about  1, 200  feet  wide.  It  soon  grows  narrower  as 
wc  pass  in  the  direction  of  \,.7- 

its  source,  but  for  a  distance 
(if  300  miles  it  has  sufificient 
\()lume  to  admit  tiie  passage 
of  steamers  of  moderate  size. 

The  United  States  arse- 
nal, the  State  Capitol,  and 
other  public  buildings  will 
interest  the  visitor  in  his 
iril.'^  t'l'.'ough  the  city,  but 
the  '  cenic  attractions  will 
he  i)rincipally  found  at  the 
bank  of  the  river.  The  city 
is  built  upon  a  cliff,  from 
which  it  takes  its  name, 
which  rises  ah'Hit  fifty  feet 
above  the  wa  er.  This  is 
the    first    rocky    formation,  kiuuon  falls,  mountain  vauk,  litile  rock,  ark. 

and  the  first  high  land  reached  in  ascending  from  the  mouth  of  the  river. 
Hut  farther  up  the  strear  the  surface  is  broken  and  many  fine  views  are 
obtained.  Only  about  two  miles  above  the  city  the  Rig  Rock  range  rises 
sharply  from  the  river  to  a  iicight  of  400  or  500  feet.  Here  are  massive  rocks, 
charming  dells,  beautiful  water-falls,  and  other  features  of  a  pleasant  resort. 
As  he  returns  to  the  city  the  traveller  may  be  interested  to  remember  that  as 
lately  as  the  spring  of  181 1,  all  the  region  was  a  wilderness.  In  that  year  a 
wanderer  from  Louisiana  located  on  what  is  now  the  site  of  the  city  and 
had  a  corn  field  on  the  spot  now  occupied  by  the  United  States  government 
buildings. 


■^  •.'^■^i 


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308       THE   GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OF   OUR    REPUBLIC 


!.'?*'{  1' 


;  A 


Leaving  the  capital  city  the  tourist  will  pass  to  Malvern  at  which  poim 
he  will  take  the  Hot  Springs  Railroad  for  the  city  of  that  name,  which  lii> 
twenty-two  miles  away.  On  the  last  part  of  the  trip  the  course  lies  throu<,'li 
a  rough  and  broken  country,  and  many  fine  views  are  obtained  from  the  car 
windows  as  the  train  glides  along. 

The  city  of  Hot  Springs  is  situated  about  65  miles  southwest  of  Littk 
Rock.     It  is  located  in  a  narrow  valley  of  the  Ozark  Mountains  on  a  small 

stream  known  as  Hot  Spriii^rs 
Creek.  This  valley  is  only  about 
one  and  one-half  miles  in  lengtli 
and  lies  some  i,5CX)  feet  above 
the  level  of  the  sea.  In  tiiis 
small  area  are  from  75  to  ico 
hot  springs,  which  are  noted  for 
the  medicinal  properties  of  tiitir 
waters.  These  springs  have 
been  famous  for  a  long  period. 
Before  the  advent  of  the  white- 
man  upon  these  western  shores, 
the  Indians  frequented  the 
Springs  when  suffering  from  ills 
which  their  "  medicine  men " 
were  unable  to  relieve.  Many 
who  were  unable  to  make  the 
journey  alone  were  carried  by 
their  companions.  The  whites 
were  not  slow  to  test  the  merits 
of  these  warm  springs.  The 
efficiency  of  the  waters  in  the  cure  of  rheumatism,  malarial  fevers,  and  numer- 
ous  chronic  diseases  soon  gave  the  locality  a  widely-spread  fame,  which  has 
seemed  to  steadily  increase  with  the  passing  years.  Of  course,  such  a  pecu- 
liar locality  is  not  without  its  traditions.  Among  them  is  one  to  the  effect 
that  this  is  the  place  of  which  the  famous  Ponce  de  Leon  was  in  search  when, 
early  in  the  sixteenth  century,  he  landed  on  the  coast  of  Florida  and  made 
extensive  explorations  in  hope  of  finding  the  fabled  fountain  of  eternal  youth. 
The  temperature  of  the  water  of  these  springs  varies  from  105°  to  160°  F. 
The  springs  issue  from  the  sandstone  hills  which  form  the  walls  of  the  valley.. 


nor  si'Ri.Nos,  Arkansas. 
Looking  down  the  Valley. 


NATURAL   SCENEF   *   AND   CELMHRATILIJ    RESORTS.      209 


It  is  claimed  tliat  by  the  use  of  their  waters  many  thcnisaiuls  of  people  whose 
(l.seases  hail  been  j)ronounced  incurable  have  been  restored  to  perfect  health, 
ill  the  bed  of  the  creek  there  are  also  thermal  sprin^;s  which  make  the  w.iter 
sufficiently  warm  for  bathing;  even  in  the  coldest  weather  of  winter. 

Hut  jjreat  as  is  the  number  of  invalids  who  flock  to  these  health-restorinjj 
springs,  this  class  furnishes  oidy  a  portion  of  the  visitors  who  find  their  way 
to  this  lovely  moun-  — „i«.,„i. ,,>-■■- 

tain  retreat.  The 
charms  of  the  scen- 
ery, the  unique  anti 
extremely  beautiful 
situation  of  the  town, 
the  pure  and  invi^- 
orating  air,  and  the 
excellent  accommo- 
dations for  travellers 
which  are  furnished 
by  many  large  and 
well-conducted  ho- 
tels, have  combined 
to  bring  to  this  fa- 
vored place  multi- 
tudes of  people  who 
are  merely  and  only 
in  search  of  pleasure. 
So  great  is  the  num- 
ber of  visitors  of 
this  class  that  in  win- 
ter Hot  Springs  pre- 
sents the  character- 
istics of  a  fashionable  pleasure  resort  in  almost  as  strongly  marked  a  degree 
as  it  bears  the  impress  of  a  great  sanitarium.  During  a  period  of  seven  years 
from  1880,  the  permanent  population  of  Hot  Springs  was  nearly  doubled. 
In  1887  it  had  reached  about  7,000. 

Returning  to  Malvern  by  the  route  by  which  he  came— the  only  one  unless 
he  is  willing  to  make  a  slow  and  tedious  journey  by  the  wagon  road — the 
tourist  will  proceed  on  his  trip  to  the  "  Lone  Star  "  State. 


A   VIEW   OK   THE    HOT    SPRINCS,    AKKANSAK. 
On  line  of  the  Iron  Mountain  Route. 


«  !.'M 


2IO      THI-:   GRKAT  WONDERLANDS   OK  OUR    RKI'UBLIC; 


'M 


;  il' 


t^'i 


The  Stato  of  Texas  will  have  an  interest  to  the  tourist  outside  of  the 
beautiful  scenery  "iuch  it  presents  to  his  jja/.e.  Its  vast  area,  suflficient  for 
an  empire  and  much  hirj^er  than  either  the  (lerman  Kmpire  or  the  I'VlucIi 
KepubUc,  will  fill  him  with  amazement.     If  he  explores  the  rej,'ion  with  any 


degree  of  thoroughness,  he  will  be  astonished  at  the  great  varfations  of 
climate.  In  one  portion  he  will  find  a  temperate  range,  neither  extremely 
cold  in  winter  nor  oppressively  hot  in  the  summer.  In  another  section  he 
will  find  a  subtropical  climate  with  the  vegetation  natural  to  regions  with  a 


ON   LINE  Ol 


NATURAL   SCKNF.RY    AND   CKLKHRATKI)    RKSORTS. 


1 1 


KANCIIK.K  S    (  AIIIN,    TKXAS, 
On  line  iif  Intrriiuliiiiiiil  unci  (in-ul  Nnrthtrn  Kallwuy. 


Iii^'h  tcm[)(.ratiirc.  Hctwccii  these  points  he  will  fiiul  a  sccliin  of  inoileratc 
warmth  am!  producing,'  the  plants  of  more  northern  rej^ions  in  ^jreat  abinulancc 
,inil  variety.  Ihc  character  ami  appearance  of  the  soil  also  varies  greatly 
in  ilifferent  portions  of  the 
State.  There  are  remark- 
ably fertile  sections  in  which 
,111  abundance  of  fora^jc  is 
prodiicetl  and  multitudes  of 
cattle  and  sheep  are  kept  at 
\ery  little  expense.  Many 
of  the  cattle  ranches  in  this 
icp;ion  arc  of  immense  ex- 
tent. The  climate  is  so  warm 
that  buildings  to  shelter  the 
animals  are  not  retpiired  and 
the  mildness  of  the  winters 
also  makes  it  unnecessary  to 
provide  crops  for  their  sus- 
tenance during  this  period.  In  this  respect,  as  well  as  in  the  low  price  of 
land,  the  Texas  cattle  grower  has  an  immense  advantage  over  the  Northern 
farmer  and  stock-raiser. 

The  contrasts  in  elevation  are  also  very  strongly  marked.     Near  the  Gulf 

coast,  and  for  quite  a  distance 
up  the  large  rivers,  the  land 
is  low,  and  of  a  marshy  na- 
ture. In  some  parts  this  low 
region  extends  inland  a  dis- 
tance of  sixty  miles.  Still 
farther  from  the  coast  arc  nu- 
merous plains  lying  about 
I,000  feet  above  the  level  of 
the  sea,  with  many  bluffs,  and 
presenting  a  somewhat  rolling 

ON    LINE  OF  THE   INTERNATIONAL   AND   GREAT   NORTHERN         SUrfaCC.  ToWard       thc       WCSt 

RAILWAY,  TEXAS.  ^^^^^^  j^,  ^  mountaiuous  region 

in  which  arc  found  many  peaks  belonging  to  an  extension,  or  off  shoot,  of  the 
great  Rocky  Mountain  Range.    In  the  northwestern  portion  of  the  State  is  the 


1) 

.  I 


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212      THE  GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OF  OUR   REPUBLIC: 


"■-  "p~ggS'i^^BMujW|!)J|'jJ^^  J^C.  J:^ 

-^^^i        '  '' """  *-'3j4M*?SU3PH 

.-i»— •'• 

..."  ■''  '^  '  '-"'■""^"■x 

/   ' 

"-■-■;.;.;,   ,  ■■  ^  , 

— -i^  ^ 

hunters'    paradise,    HOUSTON,    TEXAS. 
On  line  of  International  and  Great  Nurthern  Railway. 


-•.^W^'Ji^Ajs.J^S^V:. 


famous  "Staked  Plain,"    This  is  an  elevated  region  forming  a  continuation  >if 

the  Great  Plains  which,  beginning  in  British  America,  pass  down  the  eastern 

side  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains  to  the  Rin 
Pecos  River.  It  de- 
rives its  peculiar  nair.c 
from  the  i  m  m  c  n  s  c 
number  of  )•  u  c  c  ;i 
stems  which,  risin<;  to 
a  height  of  fron.  ten 
to  fifteen  feet,  give  the 
plain    an    appearance 

of  bei.ig  thickly  covered  with  upright  stakes.     The  plain  lies  from  2,500  to 

4,000  feet   above  the  sea  ?nd 

contains   a   number    of    small 

lakes,    in   some   of   which    the 

water  is  salt.     As  the  rainfall 

is   scanty   and    there    are   but 

few   streams,  the  whole  region 

was  formerly  considered  worth- 
less cither  for  cultivation  or  for 

grazing.     But  investigatio.i  has 

shown  that  the  soil  is  rich  and 

produces  a  good  quality  and  in 

abundant  quantity  of  grass.  It 

has  also  been  found  that  with 

but  little  difficulty  plenty  of  water  can  be 

obtained  irom  wells  and  from  reservoirs. 

Many  cattle  are  now  kept  in   this  region 

and  it  is  not  improbable  that  it  will  in  time  come 

to  be  considered  a  very  desirable  location  for  the 

live-stock  business.    The  mildness  of  the  climate, 

together  with  the  healthfulness  of  the  region  will 

attract  settlers  i'-om  other  States.     With  the  in- 

.  HIA>>    1  RIVKR,  TEXAS. 

crease  of  population  the  area  under  cultivation     online  of  international  and 

will  be  extended.    This  will  undoubtedly  increase        '"^^     ""  ""    ai»ay. 

the  rainfall  and  make  a  marked  improvement  in  the  appearance  of  the  section. 


SHEEl 


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Ctllc 

nice 
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NATURAL   SCENERY  AND  CELEBRATED   RESORTS.      213 

To  the  sportsman  Texas  offers  a  magnificent  field  for  the  exercise  of  his 
skill.  Game  and  fish  of  almost  numberless  kinds  abound.  The  antelope  m:iy 
l)c  found  in  the  northwestern  portion  of  the  State,  and  it  is  thought  that  a 
lew  specimens  of  the  buffalo  still  remain  in  .is  section.  In  some  of  the 
forest  regions  several  somewhat  ferocious  animals  are  found.  Of  these  the 
most  important  are  the  black  .^f^'--. 

bear,  the  puma,  the  lynx,  the 
wild-cat  and  the  jaguar. 
There  are  many  districts  in 
which  deer,  foxes,  raccoons, 
opossums,  and  squirrels 
abound.  Birds  are  also  found 
ill  great  variety  and  in  im- 
iiK-nse  flocks.  Wild  geese, 
w  ikl  ducks,  quail,  snipe,  phea- 
sants, and  others  which  are 
valued  for  their  flesh,  can  be 
obtained  in  large  numbers, 
w  hile  hawks,  herons,  pelicans, 
cranes,  flamingoes,  and  even 
vultures,  are  easily  secured. 
In  some  cases  splendid  hunt- 
ing grounds  are  found  at  only 
a  little  distance  from  a  city 
or  large  town.  Fishing  is 
also  excellent,  both  as  per- 
tains to  the  quality  of  the 
fish  and  the  numbers  in  which 
they  can  be  obtained.  In 
this,  as  in  the  case  of  hunt- 
i;ig.  the  sportsman  docs  not  have  to  go  out  of  the  range  of  civilization  in 
order  to  obtain  the  pleasure  of  which  he  is  in  search. 

Viewed  from  an  agricultural  standpoint,  Texas  is  also  a  remarkable  State. 
Although  it  has  more  cattle  than  any  other  State  in  the  Union,  it  also,  accord- 
ing to  late  returns,  ranks  first  as  a  cotton-producing  State  and  second  in  the 
number  of  sheep  maintained.  In  the  production  of  sugar  it  is  in  the  second 
rank,  and  it  grows  about  five  and  one-half  million  bushels  of  wheat,  twelve 


COTTON    KIKI.l),    HKARNK,    TKXAS. 
On  line  of  International  and  flreat  Northern  Raihv.iv 


ymiBk 


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214       THE  GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OF   OUR   REPUBLIC: 

million  bushels  of  oats,  and  seventy-six  million  bushels  of  Indian  corn  each 
year.  Notwithstanding  this  vast  production,  Texas  still  has  in  its  public 
domain  more  than  sixty-seven  million  acres  of  land.  In  other  words,  its  nn. 
occupied  territory  is  larger  than  the  entire  area  of  any  other  State  excent: 
California  and  Nevada.  And  the  vast  agricultural  development  described  is 
of  quite  recent  date.  We  do  not  have  to  go  back  very  far  to  find  a  time  ,it 
which  there  was  little  interest  in  agricultural  affairs.  Texas  was  a  compar.i- 
tively  dead  country  in  the  early  part  of  the  present  century,  and  its  progress 
was  very  slow  until  quite  a  period  had  elapsed  after  its  annexation  to  tlic 
United  States  in  1845. 

In  the  splendid  agricultural  region  through  which  the  International  and 
Great  Northern  Railroad  passes  there  are  almost  numberless  beautiful  scenes. 
At  Hearne  immense  cotton  fields  will  be  found,  with  their  naturally  pictur- 
esque surroundings.  At  Austin,  the  capital  of  the  State,  the  tourist  will  find 
many  points  of  interest.  The  city  is  located  near  the  centre  of  the  State, 
and  is  largely  built  upon  a  range  of  hills,  about  550  feet  in  height,  which  rise 
from  the  left  bank  of  the  Colorado  River.  It  is  an  important  railroad  point. 
The  streets  are  wide  and  some  of  the  avenues  measure  120  feet.  A  public 
park,  23  acres  in  extent,  has  be^^M  laid  out  and  both  park  and  streets  are 
nicely  shaded.  There  are  several  educational  institutions  and  various  manu- 
factories. The  new  Capitol  building  is  a  magnificent  structure  and  ranks 
among  the  finest  public  buildings  in  the  country.  It  is  four  stories  lii^di, 
5665/^  feet  long,  288|  feet  wide,  and  surmounted  by  a  dome  311  feet  in 
height.  It  is  built  of  limestone  quarried  near  by  and  the  interior  is  hand- 
somely finished  in  various  shades  of  Texas  marble.  For  its  erection  the  con- 
tractors were  given  3,000,000  acres  of  land  located  in  the  northwestern  por- 
tion of  the  State — an  area  nearly  as  large  as  that  of  the  entire  State  of 
Connecticut  and  more  than  one-third  larger  than  the  combined  areas  of  the 
States  of  Rhode  Island  and  Delaware.  The  city  was  named  for  Moses  Austin, 
the  leav'er  of  the  first  American  colony  which  settled  in  Texas.  It  was  in- 
corporated as  a  city  as  early  as  1839,  and  was  the  capital  before,  as  it  has 
been  since,  Texas  was  annexed  to  the  United  States.  The  scenery  in  tin; 
immediate  vicinity  is  very  fine.  The  tourist  should  also  visit  the  numerous 
beautiful  localities  which,  at  only  short  distances,  are  to  be  found  along  the 
banks  of  the  Colorado  River. 

Farther  down  the  line  a  stop  should  be  made  at  San  Marcos,  the  capital 
of  Hays  County,  and  a  very  pretty  town.     But  it  is  celebrated  principally  for 


NATURAL  SCENERY  AND  CELEBRATED   RESORTS.      215 

the  great  beauty  of  the  river  of  the  same  name  near  which  it  is  located  and 
for  the  boiling  spring  in  the  bed  of  the  stream.  The  spring,  which  forms  the 
source  of  the  river,  comes  from  the  base  of  the  mountain  which  here  rises 
from  the  surrounding  plain.  Except  in  the  constant  flow  of  the  water  it 
closely  resembles  a  lake.  Its  width  is  about  300  feet  and  it  is  nearly  a  quar- 
ter of  a  mile  in  length.  The  water  is  perfectly  transparent  and  the  scenery 
for  quite  a  distance  around  is  remarkably  beautiful.  An  enthusiastic  admirer 
of  this  river  has  compared 
tlie  openings  between  the 
trees  which  line  its  banks  to 

"  Golden  paths 
1  hat  lead  through  Eden  to  Heaven's 
fairer  fields." 

San  Antonio  will  also 
prove  a  picturesque  spot 
and  the  tourist  will  examine 
with  interest  the  ruins  of 
the  mission  churches  estab- 
lished by  the  Catholics  ear- 
ly in  the  eighteenth  cent- 
ury. These  churches  served 
as  places  of  defence  from 
Indian  attacks  and  for 
schools  as  well  as  for  reli- 
jjious  purposes.  The  fa- 
mous Alamo  will  also  be  a 
phice  of  interest  to  every 
one  who  appreciates  hero- 
ism and  who  values  liberty. 

In  the  growth  of  her  cities  and  the  extension  of  her  commercial  and  man- 
ufacturing interests,  Texas  presents  an  interesting  study.  The  tourist  may 
enter  a  thriving  city  in  which  there  is  abundant  evidence  of  skill  and  energy 
on  the  part  of  the  inhabitants  and  which  has  all  the  stability  of  an  ancient 
town  and  yet  he  may  find  on  inquiry  that  the  whole  city  has  been  built 
within  a  dozen  or  fifteen  years.  The  great  development  of  the  railroad  inter- 
est has  had  a  wonderful  effect  in  bringing  settlers  to  this  section  of  the 
country,  while  the  natural  advantages  which  it  offers  to  merchants,  mechanics 


COLORADO    RIVER,    NEAR    AISTIN.    TEXAS. 
On  line  of  International  and  Great  Northern  Railroad. 


i'm 
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i 


2i6      THE   GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OF  OUR   REPUBLIC; 


[■"^'<[' 


,•1  ■•.'-. 


'■« 


or  farmers  not  only  draw  multitudes  of  people  here,  but  keep  a  large  pi 
portion  of  them  as  permanent  residents.     So  it  occurs  that  fine  towns  an. 


SAN    MARCOS,    TEXAS. 
On  line  of  International  and  Cireat  Northern  Railroad. 

prosperous  cities  have  been  erected  on  sites  which  a  few  years  ago  were  por- 

tions  of  a  wilderness  crossed 
only  by  the  trails  of  Indians 
who  roamed  over  the  country 
at  will. 

Still  another  element  of  in- 
terest to  the  tourist,  in  many 
instances  the  predominatinif 
sentiment,  will  be  found  in  tlie 
"  historical  associations  which  are 
connected  v.ith  so  many  locali- 
ties in  this  great  land.  As  early 
as  1683,  Texas  was  visited  by 
the  great  explorer  La  Salle, 
who  afterward  built  a  fort  and 
prepared  for  a  permanent  sct- 
•     '  tlement.    After  an  unsuccessful 

CDl.ORADd    RIVER.    NEAR    AISTIN,    TEXAS.  ,  r  i  1  • 

On  lineoflnternatiomuand(;,e.t  Northern  Railroad.  attCUipt     tO     foUUd    a    ColuUy    Ul 


tiers  met  wi 
success. 


r^tl 


NATURAL   SCENERY   AND  CELEBRATED   RESORTS.      217 

1690,  the  Spaniards  succeeded  in  1715  in  establishing  several  missions.  They 
called  the  country  New  Philippines.  The  Indians  in  the  region  proved  hostile 
and  the  efforts  of  the  set- 
tlers met  with  but  little 
success.  When  the 
United  States  obtained 
control  of  Louisiana  in 
1S03  Texas  was  also 
claimed,  but  the  claim 
was  resisted  by  Spain. 
Settlements  were  made 
at  various  times  by 
United  States  citizens 
and  also  by  Mexicans. 
W  i  t  h  i  n  a  few 
y  cars  Mexico  «■ 'A^v 
claimed  the  region, 
and  to  a  certain 
extent  the  Mexi- 
can government 
exercised  control 
over  its  affairs.  In 
1833  an  effort  was 
made  to  form  the 
section  into  an  in- 
dependent Mexi- 
can State,  but  it 
was  defeated,  and 
two  years  later  the 
Americans,  under 
the  leadership  of 
their  chosen  Gen- 
eral, Sam  Hous- 
ton, drove  the 
Mexicans   from 

the  country.    Then  followed  the  invasion  of  Texas  by  the  Mexicans,  the  mas- 
sacre at  the  Alamo,  the  usual  horrors  of  war,  the  defeat  of  the  invaders  and 


J*:   ?v».3;..-.-..   -■■': 


SAN    I'EUKo    KIVIR   ANT)    Sl'RING,    SAN    ANTONIO,    TEXAS, 
On  line  of  International  and  Great  Northern  Railroad. 


11.1'!    ■■  ■  v'-i? 


si:'  i'^i 


mm 


n 


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aCi; 


218      THE   GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OF   OUR   REPUBLIC: 

the  establishment  of  an  independent  republic.     In    1845  the  annexation  (,; 
Texas  by  the  United  States  was  made  a  cause  of  war  by  Mexico.    After  RtL., 
cost  and  the  loss  of  some  thousands  of  lives  peace  was  declared,  and  a  more 
prosperous  era  opened  upon  the  new  State. 

Near  the  northeastern  part  of  the  State  and  on  the  line  of  the  Dall.-s  an! 
Greenville  branch  of  the  Missouri,  Kansas,  and  Texas  Railroad,  there  arc  a 
number  of  very  interesting  localities.  Perhaps  the  one  possessing  the  great- 
est attractions  is  the  Natural 
Bridge  which  spans  a  beauti- 
ful stream  in  Rockwall  Coun- 
ty. The  Bridge  itself  closely 
resembles  the  famous  Nat 
ural  Bridge  in  Virginia  aiul 
is  a  rare  as  well  as  a  beauti 
ful  specimen  of  Nature's 
architecture.  Below  t  he- 
bridge  the  rocky  walls  rise 
somewhat  abruptly  from  the 
banks  of  the  stream.  Bo- 
ij  tween  the  rocks,  at  various 
places,  trees  have  grown  and 
added  their  beauty  to  the 
general  effect  of  the  scenery. 
The  water  is  clear  and  flows 
through  a  rocky  channel  in 
which  numerous  pools  arc 
formed  and  from  which  the 
skilful  sportsnicin  is  able  to  secure  fish  of  excellent  quality  and  in  largo 
numbers.  For  quite  a  distance  along  the  stream  the  scenery  is  charming, 
and  the  tourist  who  is  willing  to  take  a  long  walk  will  be  amply  repaid  for  the 
fatigue  which  he  may  sustain. 

In  Tarrant  County,  lying  in  the  northern  and,  measuring  from  east  to 
west,  the  central  portion  of  the  State,  we  find  P'ort  Worth,  which  some  of  the 
early  settlers,  with  little  regard  to  the  then  existing  state  of  thii.gs,  but  possi- 
bly with  a  view  of  future  conditions,  named  "  The  Queen  City  of  the  Prairies," 
When  this  some, \ hat  pretentious  title  was  bestowed  the  settlement  was  not  a 
city  and  its  queenly  appeaiance  was  wholly  imaginary.     But  there  has  been 


NATIUAI.    HKIlx;!'.,    KOCKWAI.I.  COINTY,    TEXAS. 
Un  line  of  Misso'iri,  Kansas  and  Texas  Railway. 


.  Uy 


m 


NATURAL   SCENERY  AND   CELEBRATED   RESORTS.      219 

,1  wonderful  change  in  the  character  and  appearance  of  the  place  during  the 
past  few  years.  In  1874  it  was  merely  a  country  hamlet.  Then  came  the 
Texas  Pacific  Railroad  and  the  population  increased.  It  was  predicted  that 
*he  extension  of  the  road  would  cause  a  decline,  but  the  fears  were  not  real- 
ized. Business  increased,  better  buildings  were  erected,  and  the  place  had  an 
air  of  progress  and  prosperity.     With  the  development  of  the  outlying  region 


COTTON    I'l.ATKORM,    roKT    WDRTII,    TKXA.-.. 
On  line  of  Missouri,  Kansas  and  Texas  Railway. 

and  the  increase  of  railroad  facilities  it  has  been  making  rapid  strides.  In 
1880  its  population  was  nearly  7,000.  Seven  years  later  it  was  estimated  at 
about  25,000. 

In  the  early  history  of  the  place  a  large  court  house  was  erected  at  an 
expense  of  $50,000.  It  was  built  in  the  form  of  a  rotunda  with  four  wings. 
Over  the  rotunda  was  placed  a  fine  cupola.  From  this  elevation  a  splendid 
view  of  the  surrounding  country  is  obtained.    Fort  Worth  is  the  great  centre 


mm 


m 


220      THE   GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OK   OUR    RFi'UBLIC: 

of  the  live-stock  interest  in  this  reyion  and  a  very  important  manufacturin  » 
and  commercial  city.  Us  educational  faciiities  are  excellent  and  it  oft,  ,,s 
many  advantages  to  people  seeking  either  temporary  or  permanent  honie^  :ii 
a  mild  and  healthful  climau> 

A  few  miles  west  of  Forf.  Worth  the  train  crosses  the  Hrazos  River,  uln\ii 

rises  in  the  tableland  at  the  north 
western  part  of  the  State  an.l 
flows  east  and  southeast  until  it 
reaches  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  Us 
length  is  about  900  miles.  In  tiic 
spring  it  is  navigable  forsteanuis 
of  considerable  size  for  a  distant': 
of  about  300  miles  from  its  mfuitii. 
Near  where  the  river  is  crossed  liy 
the    Texas    and  I'acific    Railroad 

are  ni  a  11  y 
beautiful  bits 
of  landscape. 
It  is  mainly 
■  a    high  prai- 


rie region, 
but  there  arc 


n  u  :n  e  r  o  u  s 
I'.  strips  of  timber  and  many 
hills  of  considerable  elevation. 
Many  trees  yielding  valuable  nuts,  as 
the  pecan,  hickory,  and  walnut  are  found,  to- 
gether with  oak  and  ash  timber  trees.  Farther 
SCENE  ON  THE  uRAzos,  TEXAS,  ^cst  the  timber  becomes  smaller,  except  in 
On  line  of  Texas  and  Pacific  Railway,  specially  favorablc  localitics,  and  the  mesquitc, 
a  peculiar  small  and  thorny  tree,  becomes  abundant.  From  the  numerous 
elevations  the  landscape  presents  a  wonderfully  beautiful  appearanc  .  Most 
of  the  land  in  sight  is  uncultivated  and  its  natural  features,  unchanged  by 
man,  appear  in  all  their  primitive  loveliness.     . 

In  the  broken  region  beyond  the  Brazos  River  there  are  numerous  pictu- 
resque scenes.  At  the  towns  along  the  route,  and  at  the  scattered  settlements 
of  farmers  and  cattle-men  in  the  outlying  regions,  evidence  of  a  comparatively 


m 


NATURAL   SCENERY  AND   CELEBRATED   RESORTS.      221 

easy  form  of  life  will  be  abundant.  Nature  has  done  so  much  for  man  that  he 
IS  not  obliged  to  exert  himself  so  constantly  and  so  severely  to  obtain  a  livcli- 
liood  as  he  must  in  less  f--'ored  regions.  At  various  places  the  careful  observer 
will  notice  feats  of  engineering  skill  on  the  part  of  the  builders  of  the  railroad 
nvcr  which  he  is  travelling.  The  trestle  bridge,  near  Canyon,  is  an  example 
of  skilful  and  careful  construction  which  deserves  special  mention,  while  the 


TKKSTI.KS,    M'.AK   (A WON,     IKXAS. 
<  )n  line  of  I'exas  and  Pacific  Railway 


ascent  of  ».ne  steep  grades  farther  west  shows  equal  skill  in  the  selection  and 
jircparation  of  a  feasible  route. 

In  the  vicinity  of  Big  Springs  the  tourist  will  obtain  many  charming  views. 
If  not  particular  in  regard  to  his  accommodations  he  may  pass  a  few  days  in 
this  region  very  pleasantly.  He  will  not  find  large  hotels  and  may  not  "  fare 
sumptuously  every  day,"  but  he  will  not  suffer  for  either  food  or  shelter,  and 
he  cannot  help  being  delighted  with  the  beautiful  scenery. 

Passing  west  a  section  will  soon  be  reached  which  is  largely  devoted  to 
grazing.     Here  great  flocks  of  sheep  will  be  seen  feeding  upon  the  luxuriant 


Pirn 


I'f  ■  i 


%'M 


m^m 


m^ 


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ii 


THE  GREAT  WONDERLANDS  OF  OUR   REPUHLIC; 


tjrass  with  which  the  land  is  covered.  On  many  of  the  ranches  water  is  (,],. 
tained  from  artesian  wells  and  is  pumped  to  the  surface  by  windmills.  I,i 
other  localities  ordinary  wells  from  thirty  to  fifty  feet  deep  supply  plenty  (  f 
water.  To  quite  an  extent  shepherd  dogs  are  emplov<  d  in  protecting  tlio 
sheep  and   in   keeping  them   from   straying.     The  ^velopment  of  tlM- 

sheep  interest  in  Texas  was  in  the  southern  and  southwestern  portions  of  tiii; 
State,  but   since  the   discovery  that   water  can  be  readily  obtained   fartlu  r 


-■ci:?«»- 


'"mr">* 


^■^^^ 


^^'■J 


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A 


<v^ . 


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nir.   si'RiNc.s.    iKXAs. 

On  line  of  I'lxiis  and  I'ai  ific  Kailwiiy. 


north  the  tendency  has  been  in  that  direction.     In   1886  the  production  of 
wool  in  the  State  amounted  to  more  than  23,000,000  pounds. 

Crossing  the  Rio  Pecos  River  we  soon  find  a  great  change  in  the  appear- 
ance of  the  country.  Here  the  comparatively  level  section  is  left  behMul 
and  the  outlying  region  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  begins.  A  marked  pecu- 
liarity of  the  approach  to  this  great  range,  from  this  direction,  is  found  in  the 
almost  entire  absence  of  the  usual  slope,  and  in  its  place  a  series  of  elevated 
plains  rising  abruptly  from  fifty  feet  to  five  hundred  feet  at  each  step.  The 
plains   thus  formed   range  from  fifty  to  one   hundred  miles  in  width.     The 


NATURAL  SCENERY  AND  CELEBRATED   RESORTS.      223 

lies  is  continued,  in  the  direction  of  the  northwest,  until  the  jjreat  rani^e  of 
ilie  Rockies  is  readied. 

Proceeding'  toy.  ard  El  Paso  the  train  is  drawn  up  the  slope  of  the  Sierra 
lUaiica  Mountains  to  a  heijjht  of  five  thousand  feet  above  the  sea  I'.'vel.  The 
ascent  brinj^s  many  pictures(|ue  scenes  into  view,  while  from  the  hij^hest  ele- 
\,ition  there  is  a  magnificent  outlook.  The  descent  of  the  mountains  is  also 
1.  plete  with  charming  views,  and  the  scenery  continues  wonderfully  attrac- 


SHKKP    RANCH,    MIDLAND,    Tl'XAS. 
On  line  of  Texuiiand  I'Hcil'ic  Railway 

tive  until  the  end  of  the  journey  is  reached  at  El  Paso,  "  the  gateway  to  old 
Mexico,"  and  a  beautiful  and  interesting  locul  ty.  It  is  the  western  terminus 
of  the  Rio  Grande  division  of  the  Texas  and  Pacific  Railroad,  and  besides 
being  an  important  railroad  centre  has  various  manufacturing  interests.  Its 
poi)ulation  increased  from  less  than  1,000  in  1880  to  more  than  10,000  in  Jan- 
uary, 1888. 

El  Paso  is  the  capital  of  El  Paso  County,  which  lies  in  the  northwestern 
corner  of  the  State.     The  county  is  mountainous  and  within  its  limits  many 


m 


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V    IV 


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324      TUE  C.RKAT  WONUKKLANDS   OF   OUR    RKl'UHIJc  ; 


U  -i 


r       '  1 

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P  '^Hj 

■i 

1'     ■ 

UB|::/i^'] 

K     -I 

scenes  «)f  runi^ed  yrandeur  may  be  fouiul.  The  plains  between  thest;  n  ;. 
tain  rani,'fs  will  also  prove  of  interest  to  the  tourist  who  takes  the  tiiii  •,) 
traverse  them.  Hut  the  chief  attractions  of  tlie  re^'ion  lie  in  the  vicinit\  ,f 
the  old  town.  The  first  settlement  was  mailc  here  by  Jesuits  about  luji 
They  built  near  the  bank  of  the  Rio  Grande  River,  and  though  until  iccentlv 
the  town  made  but  a  slow  growth  it  lias  of  late  years  become  an  important 
railroad  centre  and  is  now  a  thriving  city  and  claims  to  be  the  "  chief  c. 
mercial  point  between  New  Orleans  and  Los  Aii^xK 
The  valley  is  from  tw(»  to  six  miles  in  width,  the  soil  ,s 
fertile  and  the  climate  is  delightful.  The  rainfall  is  slij;l.i, 
averaging  not  more  than  eight  inches  per  j'car.  but  t'lo 
land  is  easily  and  cheaplj-  irrigated.  Snow  seldom  falls  ami 
J     the  mercury  harill)-  e\er  rises  above  loo°  in  mid-suuinur 

As  a  fruitgrowing  region  this  valley  is  remarkabU-.  p.  ,,r 

trees  grow  to  an  immense  size  and  yield  hca\}'  crojis 

f»*-*,^V     of  fruit,  while  other  northern  fruits,  and  those  i)elon'4- 

ing  to  semi-tropical  reginps, 
are  produced  in  great  abun- 
dance. The  grape  is  partii.  ii 
larly  successful,  coming  iiitit 
bearing  very  early  and  )iel(l 
ing  large  crops  of  fruit  of  .m 
excellent  quality.  Man)larL;e 
vineyards  have  been  set  and 
wine-making  has  alreadj-  l)t 
come  a  thriving  industry.  The 
mining  interests  of  the  region 
are  also  important. 
A  little  above  the  town  is  El  Paso  del  Norte,  "the  pass  of  the  North.  '  a 
narrow  and  fertile  valley  through  which  the  Rio  Grande  River  finds  its  way 
on  its  course  to  the  sea.  In  this  gorge  there  are  many  beautiful  localities. 
Just  across  the  river,  on  the  Mexican  side,  lies  the  old  city  of  El  I'aso,  a 
place  of  several  thousand  inhabitants,  most  of  whom  arc  Mexicans.  The 
buildings  are  nearly  all  made  of  adobe,  or  sun-dried  bricks.  The  principal 
building  is  a  church  said  to  be  more  than  280  years  old.  It  is  an  adobe 
structure,  plastered  both  inside  and  outside.  The  exterior  is  extremely  i)lai!i. 
but  the  interior  is  nicely  finished,  with  elegant  carvings  which  give  it  a  taste- 


>n  KUA    HI.ANCA    >!()! MAINS,     TKXAs. 
(  11  liiip  cif  Texas  find  I'iicilk  Kuilwav. 


^Ih 


NATURAL  SCRNKRY  AND  CELrBRATEI)   RKSORTS.      225 


([...ippcarancf.  In  the 
t,  wcr  arc  three  lart;c 
b(  \U  said  to  be  as  old 
a  ,  the  bulidirifi  itself. 

A    short    distance 
(l.wii   the    river    may 
be  seen  the  dilapidat- 
ed f'lrni  of    old    Fort 
Hliss.     Still    farther 
(luwn,  some    13  miles 
brlow  El  Paso,  is  the 
.iiicient    Pueblo   town 
of  Vsleta,   formerly 
the  capital  of  El  Paso 
(uiinty.     It  is  now  in- 
habited almost  exclu- 
sively by  Mexicans 
.iml    Indians,    It  con- 
tains    a    Catholic 
Ciuirch   said    to   have 
been   erected    more 
tiian  300 years  ajjo, and 
which  is  well   worthy 
of  a  visit.     There  are 
various    other    settle- 
iiuMits    farther     down 
tlic  river,  but  they  are 
not  places   of    special 
interest  to  the  average 
tourist.   In  and  arounil 
VA   Paso,  on   both  the 
American    and    the 
Mexican    sides  of  the 
ri\er.  he  will   find  the 
most    beautiful   scene- 
ry  and   will    come   in 
contact  with   the   nu- 


•*i 


1.,',;.  '.: 


"■  •)'• 


'M^ 


ROAD    AT   El.    I'ASO    AN1>    VIF.W    OK    I'oRl     III.ISS,     I'KXAS. 
On  1  ne  iif  Texas  and  ('aiil'ii;  Railway. 


m 


■l 

'.    'r 

H 

i-::  ' 

•  \'i 

f    ■ 

m 

f-; 

'•'  s 

W,    . 

\,r:  U 

1       ■  ■  ■ 

.•'SSg 

S<,  • 

fU 

226       THE  GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OF   OUR    REPUBLIC. 

mcrous  and  widely  differing   types   of   civilization  which  prevail  in  all   tlm 
surrounding  region. 


:  W. 


SCENES    IN  NEW    MEXICO. 

HE  traveller  who  strays  to  New  Mexico  will  go  somewhat  out  of  tlu 
principal  line  of  tourist  excursions,  though  he  will  by  no  means 
find  himself  without  company  in  his  expedition.  Neither  will  h,' 
regret  his  choice  of  a  place  in  which  to  spend  a  few  leisure  days.  The  mait\ 
peculiarities  of  the  region,  the  mildness  of  the  climate  and  the  beauty  of  tin 
scenery,  the  almost  solemn  stillness  which  prevails  at  the  native  villages,  with 
the  primitive  manner  of  life  01  the  people,  combine  to  make  it  a  most  inter 
esting  section  to  the  thoughtful  and  observant  visitor. 

It  is  claimed  by  some  geologists  that  here  the  first  dry  land  of  the  con 
tinent  appeared.  The  region  was  certainly  the  seat  of  an  ancient  civilization. 
Even  now  ancient  manners  and  customs  prevail  to  a  marked  degree.  In 
some  of  the  villages  the  natives  follow  the  communistic  mode  of  life  which, 
hundreds  of  years  ago,  their  ancestors  adopted  in  order  that  they  might  tlic 
more  successfully  defend  themselves  from  their  numerous  enemies.  In  \  aii- 
ous  other  respects  the  civilization  belongs  to  a  period  long  since  passed  awav 
and  the  people  remain  passively  and  contentedly  in  the  condition  in  w  hicii 
their  predecessors  lived. 

One  of  the  peculiar  and  interesting  scenes  which  this  section  presents  is 
found  at  the  Pueblo  de  Taos — among  the  oldest  of  the  ancient  adobe  forts. 
Leaving  the  Denver  and  Rio  Grande  Railroad  at  Embudo  the  tourist  w  ill 
make  the  trip  along  the  Taos  valley  on  horseback.  On  the  route  several 
small  villages  will  be  passed  and  a  primitive  method  of  agricultural  life  will 
be  observed  at  the  farm-houses,  if  such  they  can  be  called,  of  the  region. 
The  valley  is  fertile  and  the  superficial  methods  of  the  nati\es  secure  a  suffi- 
cient return  from  the  soil  to  keep  them  in  comparative  comfort.  Not  far 
from  the  ceutre  of  the  valley  the  town  of  P'ernandez  de  Taos  is  located.  It 
is  inhabited  by  about  1,500  people.  .A.  little  to  the  south  is  Ranchos  tie  Taos, 
a  village  in  which  the  houses  arc  of  adobe,  but  which  boasts  the  modern  in- 
novation of  a  flouring  mill.  The  buildings  known  as  the  Pueblo  de  Taos  lie 
close  to  the  Taos  Mountain,  about  two  miles  from  the  village  first  mentioned, 
and  form  the  home  of  some  400  Indians. 


■flffw.V 


1-  1;i  , 


all   ti,c 


of  tile 

will  li,. 

many 

of  tin 

■s.  with 

;  inter- 


« 


mm 


i^ii '':«'•  I' 


228       THE   GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OF  OUR   RF.PUBLIC. 

The  village  of  Fernandez  de  Taos  was  selected  as  the  seat  of  government 
when  the  United  States  came  into  possession  of  the  territory.  Here  tli.. 
celebrated  Kit  Carson  spent  the  last  years  of  his  life,  and  tradition  affirms 
that  in  this  vicinity  the  famous  Mexican  ruler  Montezuma,  was  born. 

The  Indians  living  at  the  fort  hold  a  peculiar  festival  on  the  30th  day  of 
September  of  each  year.  Its  design  is  to  honor  their  patron  saint  (St. 
Jerome).  The  ceremonies,  which  are  peculiar,  are  not  often  attended  b)- 
white  men,  though  they  attract  the  Indians,  in  great  numbers,  from  all  the 
surrounding  country. 

The  two  adobe  buildings  known  as  the  Pueblo  de  Taos  are  about  50  feet 
high.  They  are  some  600  feet  apart  and  a  stream  flows  between  them.  At 
each  successive  story  the  size  of  the  building  diminishes,  so  that  a  rude  pyra 
midal  form  is  assumed.  Appearances  indicate  that  these  buildings  have 
been  enlarged  in  size  as  the  demand  for  room  increased.  Access  to  the  in- 
terior is  obtained  by  means  of  two  ladders.  By  one  of  these  the  top  of  the 
first  story  is  reached  while  the  other,  passing  through  a  hole  in  the  roof,  leads 
to  the  room  below. 

As  he  leaves  this  peculiar  people  and  passes  down  the  valley  to  the  point 
at  which  the  cars  are  to  take  the  place  of  the  small  and  slow  Mexican  ponies 
the  tourist,  if  of  an  imaginative  disposition,  can  almost  persuade  himself  that 
he  has  been  visiting  a  foreign  land.  If  of  an  observing  mind  he  will  be  con 
vinced  that  for  some  portions  of  this  territory  there  are  great  possibilities  of 
development.  He  will  have  no  doubt  that  the  tide  of  our  restless  civilization 
will  soon  set  strongly  in  the  direction  of  these  fertile  valleys  and  the  valuable 
mining  regions  in  the  mountains.  The  thoughtless,  listless  idlers  who  now 
inh.i.bit  som.;  of  the  finest  portions  of  the  land  will  be  obliged  to  change  tiieir 
manner  of  life  or  they  will  be  crowded  out  by  a  more  enterprising  people. 
Whatever  may,  in  the  future,  befall  the  land  or  its  people,  the  tourist  will 
cherish  for  them  the  kindest  feelings  and  the  quaint  pictures  of  scenery  and 
life  which  he  has  so  keenly  enjoyed  will  linger  long  and  pleasantly  in  his 
memory. 


HEW 


HVii;:  i: 


('  rn 


mcnt 

til... 
irni.s 


by 
tlic 


HERE  AND  THERE  IN  THE  GREAT 

WEST. 

|0R  residents  of  the  central  portion  of  the  United  States,  or  for 
visitors  to  that  region,  St.  Louis  is  an  excellent  point  from  which 
to  take  a  trip  for  health  or  pleasure.  From  this  great  centre  the 
finest  railroads  branch  in  all  directions  and  all  prominent  points  are  readily 
.iccessible.  Let  us  now 
take  a  brief  look  at  a 
few  points  a  little  dis- 
tance toward  the  "  set- 
ting sun." 

The  tourist  who 
crosses  the  State  of 
Missouri  by  the  Mis- 
souri Pacific  Railroad 
will  find  a  diversified 
country.  There  will  be 
no  startling  exhibitions 
of  natural  scenery,  but 
many  very  pleasant  lo- 
calities will  be  passed. 
There  will  be  many 
places  at  which,  if  time 
were  unlimited  hewould 
be  glad  to  remain  for 
aw  hik;  and  for  a  visit  to 
which  he  would  be  well 
repaid.  Among  these 
points  of  interest  is 
Warrensburg,  218  miles 
from  St.  Louis,  a  thriving  town  of  some  6,000  inhabitants.  There  he  will  find 
several  public  buildings,  Warrensburg  being  the  capital  of  the  county,  and 
the  State  Normal  School.  There  is  considerable  manufacturing  in  several 
lines,  some  large  flouring  mills,  and  extensive  quarries  from  which  a  remark- 


rKkll.K   SPRINGS,   WARKKNSHl'RO,    MO. 
On  line  iif  Missouri  Parific  Railway. 


U\ 


v!i-' 


•m 


I     ; 


230      THE   GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OF  OUR   REPUBLIC: 


>,n 


iid 


ably  fine  quality  of  sandstone  is  obtained.  But  the  chief  interest  to  the  tour- 
ist will  centre  around  the  famous  Pertle  Springs.  The  beauty  of  nature  has 
here  been  supplemented  by  the  art  of  man.  The  scene  presented  is  so  chanu 
ing  that  it  is  not  a  matter  for  surprise  that  the  resort  has  become  famou 
throughout  the  region  and  that  it  is  visited  by  thousands  who  have  no  spcci.tl 
need  of  the  health-restoring  influences  for  which  it  is  celebrated  and  by  wliicli 
large  numbers  are  attracted.  It  is  an  excellent  place  for  enjoyment  as  well  as 
for  recuperation. 

In  the  southwestern  pc  rtion  of  Missouri  and  the  southern  part  of  Kansas 
there  are  a  large  number  of  remarkably  beautiful  views.     Of  these  many  aix 

near  the  lines  of  the  various 
railroads  which  form  a  net- 
work of  iron  over  these  States. 
Others  are  at  some  distanee 
from  the  tracks  and  ma\-  he 
reached  on  horseback,  or,  in 
many  cases,  by  public  convex  ■ 
ance.  A  coach  ride  throuL;li 
some  of  the  beautiful  vales  of 
this  reyiv,n  will  yield  no  small 
amount  of  pleasure.  To  many 
it  will  have  the  charm  of  nov- 
elty as  well  as  present  numer- 
ous scenes  of  beauty.  If  the 
trip  occurs  in  the  summer,  the  tourist  will  not  only  have  an  opportunity  to 
view  the  natural  attractions,  but  he  will  also  be  able  to  see  how  agricultural 
operations  are  conducted  in  the  western  country.  The  great  wheat  fields  and 
the  vast  areas  devoted  to  corn  will  amaze  him,  even  though  he  may  have  read 
much  in  regard  to  them  a.  d  may  be  expecting  to  find  large  farms  and  splendid 
crops.  If  he  keeps  in  mind  the  fact  that  !i  large  part  of  the  section  in  which 
he  finds  such  a  wonderful  development  of  the  farming  interest  has  been  under 
cultivation  only  a  comparatively  brief  period,  he  will  be  ready  to  admit  that 
not  only  is  it  a  remarkable  country,  but  also  that  it  "s  inhabited  by  a  very  ener- 
getic and  progressive  class  of  people.  His  wonder  will  be  increased  almost  to 
the  point  of  bewilderment  if  he  remembers  that  only  thirty-five  or  forty  years 
ago  this  now  prolific  region  was  believed,  even  by  men  who  had  carefull)'  ex- 
plored it,  to  be  a  veritable  desert.     It  was  included   in   the   Great  American 


STAGE    KOITK,  SCHELI.  CITY   TO    EI,    DORADO    SPKINll.- 
On  line  of  .Missouri,  Kansas  and  Texas  Railway. 


Icsert  of 
ccarch  of 
passed  b) 
country, 
majority 
assured  t 
a  failure. 


^?PT^% 


NATURA.L   SCENERY   AND   CELEBRATED   RESORTS.      231 

]  cscrt  of  the  geographies  of  that  day,  and  many  who  visited  the  section  in 
ft.arch  of  homes  were  so  impressed  with  its  forbidding  aspect  that  they 
liassed  by  what  has  proved  to  be  one  of  the  most  productive  portions  of  the 
country.  A  few  of  the  visitors  who  were  more  courageous  than  the  great 
iiiajority  resolved  to  practically  test  the  capacity  of  the  land..  They  were 
a-^sured  that  trees  could  not  grow  in  that  soil  and  that  farm  crops  would  prove 
a  failure.     But  trees  and  crops  grew  luxuriantly,  people  from  adjoining  re- 


WIIKAT    IIll.D,    SOITIIKKN    KANSAS. 
On  line  of  Missouri  Pacific  Railway. 

^'ions  and  in  still  greater  numbers  from  distant  points,  came  flocking  in,  and 
in  a  brief  period  the  desert  had  been  converted  into  a  most  fruitful  field  and 
the  dreary  waste  became  the  seat  of  a  prosperous  State. 

The  Indian  Territory,  recently  brought  prominently  to  the  attention  of 
tlic  public  by  the  opening  to  settlement  of  Oklahoma,  in  the  central  portion 
of  the  territorial  area,  has  many  attractions  for  the  tourist.  This  is  particu- 
larly true  of  Oklahoma.  The  name  of  this  region  signifies  "  Beautiful  Land  " 
and  is  very  appropriate,  for  the  country  abounds  in  scenes  of  beauty.  A 
Spaniard  who  passed  through  this  section  as  early  as  1662  described  it  as  a 


■1 1 1       t  '•'  *'  m.' 


1,^-1' 


mm 
ill 

.'•.'■■■.■■I'l-r'', 


!■* 


232       THE   GRKAT  WONDERLANDS   OF   OUR    RETUHLIC: 

land  of  "pleasiiijj^,  peaceful,  and  most  pleasant  fields,  that  not  in  all  the  Indie., 
of  Peru  and  New  Spain,  nor  in  Europe,  have  any  such  been  seen  so  pleasant 
and  deh^htful." 

But  the  scenic  beauty  of  the  Territory  is  by  no  means  confined  to  Oklu. 
homa.  In  various  pt)rti()ns  of  the  domain  views  of  remarkable  beauty  nia\- 
be  obtained.     In  the  southern  and  south-eastern  portions  we  find  a  continua 

tion  of  the  Ozark  ran^e  of 
mountains,  with  their  diversified 
scenery.  In  the  central  part 
there  is  a  belt  of  timber,  whik 
in  the  western  portion  of  tlie 
Territory  the  land  presents  a 
rollinjj  appearance  and  is  des- 
titute of  trees.  This  treeless 
plain  is  the  beginning,  in  tl  is 
latitude,  of  the  long  grade  which 
reaches  to  the  eastern  base  of 
the  Rocky  Mountains. 

A  glance  at  the  map  and  a 
superficial  study  of  its  general 
features  would  indicate  that  the 
State  of  Illinois  has  no  special 
attractions  for  any  one  seeking 
grandeur  or  beauty  in  nature. 
Great  enterprise,  wonderful 
growth  and  development,  splen- 
did buildings,  and  amazing  in- 
dustrial energy  and  progress 
are  to  be  expected,  and  will  be 
found  on  every  hand.  But  on 
account  of  her  location  "  on  the 
prairies,"  and  from  the  fact  that  a  large  portion  of  her  area  is  not  more  than 
500  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  it  would  naturally  be  supposed  that  the 
scenery  would  be  extremely  tame  and  uninteresting.  As  regards  a  consid- 
erable part  of  the  State  this  supposition  would  be  correct.  But  there  are 
several  points  within  her  borders  which  present  scenic  attractions  of  great 
beauty  and  interest. 


A    SlKNK    IN    SorTHWr.ST   MISSOIRI. 
On  lint;  <)f  Missouri  Pacific  Railway. 


■  ) 

W 

i:^-':^ 


NATURAL   SCENERY   AND   CELEBRATED   RESORTS.      233 

Partly  from  their  peculiar  form,  but  largely  from  the  strongly  marked 
contrast  in  which  they  stand  to  the  surrounding  landscape,  the  bluffs  on  the 
Mississippi  River  are  noticeable  features.  Some  of  these  rise  to  a  height  of 
400  feet  above  the  surrounding  region.  Fountain  Bluff,  one  of  the  landmarks 
(.f  Jackson  County,  is  some  six  miles  in  circumference,  300  feet  high,  and  has 
iipon  its  summit  many  peculiar  "sink  holes"  of  considerable  depth.  In 
Hardin  County  is  the  Cave  in  the  Rock,  which  at  a  little  distance  looks  like 
a  huge  pile  of  stones.  On  nearer  approach  a  chamber  some  80  feet  long, 
with  an  entrance  80  feet  wide,  and  25  feet  high,  is  found.     Here  in  the  time 

of  the  early  settlers  bands  of 
marauders  who  operated  on 
land  and  pirates  who  phin- 
dercd  the  boats  passing  on  the 
Ohio  River  had  their  rendez- 
vous. Passing  to  the  north- 
ern portion  of   the  State  we 


find  several  very  beautiful  lakes  and  not  a  little 
scenery  that  is  at  once  charming  and  romantic. 
This  region,  on  account  of  its  excellent  fishing  as 
well  as  by  reason  of  its  other  attraction ^,  is  a 
favorite  resort  of  sportsmen. 

While  there  are  many  interesting  places  and 
views  in  other  portions  of  the  State,  there  is  noth- 
ing to  exceed,  and  most  visitors  will  probably  de- 
MKN,.:  NKAR  Anjj.v^.  i.Nu.AN  TKR-    ^j^^^  ^^^^^  ^^^^^^  j^  „^  sccncry  which  in  beauty  and 

oniincof  Missouri,  Kan.  &TtvasR'way.  grandcur  Combined  can  nearly  equal,  that  in  the 
vicinity  of  Ottawa,  the  capital  of  La  Salle  County.  Even  within  the  city 
limits  there  are  scenes  of  remarkable  beauty,  and  for  a  distance  of  about 
fifteen  miles,  as  we  pass  toward  the  west  on  the  banks  of  the  Illinois  River, 
the  peculiar  conformation,  and  unexpected  changes  of  surface  and  general 
cliaracteristics  make  a  trip  in  this  direction  extremely  pleasant.  If  in  a 
retrospective  frame  of  mind  the  visitor  can  look  back  to  tlve  time,  not  very 
long  ago,  when  this  region  was  the  home  of  Indian  tribes  and  the  field  of 
bitter  conflict  for  possession  of  the  soil ;  if  thought  is  then  allowed  to  run 
over  the  brief  intervening  period  which  has  witnessed  the  marvellous  growth 
of  Chicago  and  the  numerous  other  cities  and  towns  close  at  hand  he  will 
seem  to  be  living  in  an  age  in  which  the  amazing  deed*^  recounted  in  fairy  tales 


i|  1  :\  WW 


■■"    i: 


s<r 


Jv;i 


»i-S!: 


11' v-;*:i.t 


234      THE   (iRKAT  WOXDKRLANDS  OF   OUR    RKPUHLIC: 

arc  more  than  accomplished,      Ikit  to  the  party  in  pursuit  of  pleasure  tlic 
present  usually  has  far  greater  charms  than  the  past,  and  the  scenes  around 
arc  the  ones  wliich  may  be  expected  to  principally  en|jja^e  the  attention. 
Several  cartons  of  considerable  extent  and  remarkable  beauty  are  fouih! 


IIIK    IIUK^I-.SIKJK,    i)K    TWIN    CANON,    NKAR    DITAWA,    11.1.. 


m 


t-(  li 


alon<^  the  river  and  there  are  also  many  glens  of  lew  magnitude  and,  because 
comparatively  unknown,  of  less  popularity,  but  which  are  well  worthy  of  a 
visit.  The  ease  w  ith  which  they  can  be  reached  by  the  residents  of  Chicago 
and  other  large  places  not  far  distant  should  make  them  very  popular  resorts. 


NATURAL   SCENERY  AND   CELEHRATED    RESORTS.      235 

lU-  the  "Great  Rock  Island  Route"  the  tourist  ^oes  to  Ottawa  or  to  Utica. 
Iroiii  either  of  these  points  he  can  take  an  excellent  carriage  road  leading 
through  a  rich  farming  section,  or  if  at  Ottawa  may  take  a  charming  trip  on 
,1  fine  steam  yacht  which  during  the  warm  season  plies  between  that  city  and 
ihc  peculiar  formation  known  as  Starved  Rock.  This  consists  of  a  huge 
mass  of  limestone  rising  perpendicularly  from  the  river  to  a  height  of  156 
l\ct  above  its  level.  It  is 
,it)()Ut  eight  miles  below 
()tt;'.\\a,  and  attractions  are 
not  wanting  all  along  the 
idiite.  Quite  a  distance 
above  is  an  immense  ledge 
lit'  rocks,  lying  in  rugged 
grandeur,  which  is  called 
Ldver's  Leap,  and  nearly 
(i])p()site  is  the  cliff  known 
as  Buffalo  Rock,  which  rises 
abruptly  from  the  valley  in 
which  it  stands  to  a  height 
<if  about  60  feet.  In  the 
\i(.inity  of  Starved  Rock 
there  are  excellent  places 
for  parties  who  wish  to 
"  camp  out  "  for  a  few  days 
(ir  weeks.  Pedestrian  visits 
tan  be  easily  made  there- 
from to  the  various  cartons 
ill  which  the  "charms  of 
solitude  "  appear  in  all  their 
])crfections.  One  of  the 
most  beautiful  of  these  re-  '•'^"••^l  ^■'•■"-  '■^"^'  •"  ■  '^  ''^'^'^  ^■'•'■^• 

treats  is  the  Horseshoe  or  Twin  Carton,  through  which  the  water  flows  in  a  sil- 
very stream  under  the  shatle  of  the  beautiful  trees  which  flourish  upon  its  banks. 
Here  the  visitor  may  retire  from  the  world  with  which  daily  life  has  made 
him  familiar  and  in  the  shadowy  recesses  of  the  lovely  glen  find  a  place  of 
rest  and  peace  so  widely  differing  from  his  usual  surroundings  as  to  seem  to 
be  on  another -and  distant  globe.     If  of  a  reverent  mind,  and  one  can  hardly 


1   -I'::- 1 


■■:>.  ''-J    |'*I, 


:i    :ffl 


rm^.  ill 


jfj 


236      THE  GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OF  OUR    REPUBLIC; 


i'i  v\ 


fail  to  be  reverent  here,  he  can  easily  imagine  himself  in  one  of  the  great  iiiiil 
supremely  beautiful  temples  of  the  Infinite  God. 

Another  locality  of  great  interest,  some  three  or  four  miles  from  tlu 
steamer  landing,  three  miles  from  Utica,  or  five  miles  from  La  Salle,  is  the 
Deer  Park  Glen.  This  can  also  be  reached  by  carriage  from  Ottawa,  thr 
drive  of  twelve  miles  being  a  pleasant  prelude  to  the  happy  hours  whicli  will 
be  spent  at  its  termination.  The  surface  rock  at  this  place  is  sandstone,  and 
through  it  the  constant  flow  of  water  during  the  ages  past  has  cut  a  g<>r;4c 
with  almost  perpendicular  walls  upon  which  ferns  and  flowers,  with  clingin^r 
vines  and  diminutive  shrubs,  appear  in  varied  hues  and  rich  abunilance.  At 
the  surface  of  the  ground,  and  reaching  close  to  the  edges  of  the  chasm,  i^  ii 
vigorous  growth  of  forest  trees.  This  wonderful  glen  extends  a  distance  df 
one  and  a  half  miles.  It  is  divided  into  two  parts,  the  upper  and  lower,  w  liich 
are.  perhaps,  equally  beautiful.  The  greatest  depth  of  the  gorge  is  170  feel. 
In  all  portions  of  the  glen  rocks  which  have  been  cut  and  worn  in  fantaNtic 
forms  by  the  marvellous  processes  of  nature  are  found  and  a  luxuriant  ami 
diversified  plant-growth  richly  decks  the  scene.  One  of  the  finest  views  is 
obtained  at  the  pool  in  the  lower  glen  where  is  found  a  beautiful  cascade 
called  the  Bridal  Veil  Falls.  Here  the  silvery  stream  makes  a  plunge  of 
forty  feet  into  the  deep  pool  of  water  lying  at  the  foot  of  the  precipice.  An- 
other remarkajle  feature  in  this  locality  is  the  presence  of  valuable  medicinal 
springs.     Of  these  foui  are  found  in  the  lower  portion  of  the  glen. 

Only  about  a  mile  di  tant  from  the  Deer  Park  Glen  is  another  very  pecu- 
liar formation  which  is  of  great  interest  to  the  geologist  as  well  as  to  the 
tourist.  The  place  is  known  as  Bailey's  Falls,  and  is  located  near  the  junc- 
tion of  Bailey's  Creek  with  the  Vermilion  River.  Its  name  is  derived  from 
Lewis  Bailey,  the  pioneer  settler  of  Vermilion  Township,  who  located  here 
in  1825,  after  having  previously  resided  in  Ohio  and  Indiana.  The  P'.dls 
were  then  largely  visited  by  Indians,  with  whom  Bailey  seems  to  have  been 
on  friendly  terms.  Here  he  remained  until  1844,  when  his  restless  disposition 
again  asserted  itself  and  with  his  family  he  removed  to  the  Northwest. 
About  two  miles  away  is  Louell,  one  of  the  oldest  towns  in  La  Salle  County, 
with  quite  attractive  scenery  and  a  coal  mine  of  considerable  value.  But  the 
greatest  interest  of  the  locality  centres  around  the  Falls.  Here  the  surface 
rock  is  limestone  which  is  underlaid  by  sandstone.  By  the  force  of  the  water 
or  by  some  convulsion  of  nature  a  great  number  of  huge  boulders  have  been 
broken  from  the  limestone  crust  and  piled  in  a  confined  mass  below  the  Falls, 


NATURAL   SCKNERY   AND   CELKBKATED   RKSORTS.      2.^7 

making  the  view  wild  and  picturesque  in  the  extreme.  Anotiier  feature 
,,  hich  will  excite  both  curiosity  and  interest  is  found  in  the  numerous  holes, 
nr  wells,  which  have  been  worn  into  the  limestone,  in  some  cases  to  the  depth 
(if  20  or  30  feet,  by  boulders  which  the  constant  flow  of  the  water  has  kept 
moving  from  side  to  side.  The  other  features  of  the  region  are  full  of  inter- 
est and  the  visitor  will  find  new  surprises  and  added  charms  on  every  hand. 
Moving  westward  from  the  scenes  just  described  we  come  to  Iowa,  a  State 


BAII-F.Y's   KAI.I.S,    I.A    SAI.I.E   COfNTY,    II.I.. 

entirely  destitute  of  mountains,  but  by  no  means  wanting  in  natural  attrac- 
tions. There  are  forests  as  well  as  prairies,  and  many  bluffs  rise  boldly  from 
tlic  large  rivers  which  course  through  its  territory.  Beautiful  ravines  are 
found,  while  at  a  distance  from  the  large  streams  the  undulating  surface  of 
tiio  prairies  presents  a  mild  yet  picturesque  aspect.  Rut  by  far  the  most 
beautiful  scenery  of  the  State  is  found  in  the  vicinity  of  the  numerous  lakes 
which  dot  its  northern  portion,  and  which  have  become  deservedly  popular 
with  a  large  number  of  pleasure  seekers. 

Probably  the  best  known,  and  perhaps  the  most  charming  of  the  lakes 


it*  ■■•■'.  I 

i  '>  •  I'  i. 


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238       Till-:   (IKF.AT  WONDKKLANDS   OF   OUR    KKI'UHI.K:. 

which  hcautify  tlic  upper  part  of  the  State,  is  Spirit  Lake,  which  lies  in  l)i^l 
inson  Cdunty,  l,'')5o  feet  above  the  sea,  ami  at  the  highest  point  in  Iowa.  I1 
is  the  lar^'est,  aiul  lies  the  farthest  north,  of  a  tjroiip  of  beautiful  lakes  within 
a  sliort  distance  of  each  other.  It  covers  an  area  of  about  5,600  acres  and 
presents  a  shore  line  of  more  than  13  miles.  Alon^'  its  eastern  side  arc  several 
lesser  lakes  tliviiled  from  it  by  small  rid^a-s  of  land  upon  some  of  which  ^(uu\ 
roads  have  been  constructed.  On  the  south  shore  of  the  lake,  in  a  nnrst 
beautiful  situati<jn,  the  lar;^e  and  splendidly  ecpiipped  Hotel  Orleans  iia-, 
been  i)uilt.  l"'rom  this  jjoint  the  East  Okoboji  Lake  is  also  in  view,  and  tin 
scenery  in  every  direction  is  noted  for  its  (juiet  beauty.  This  section  is  di 
ructly  reached  by  the  celebrated  "Albert  Lea"  route. 

The  region  of  Spirit   Lake  also  possesses  an   historical  interest — an  inter- 
est, however,  not  unmixed  with  deepest  sadness.     As  lately  as  1857  it  was  tin 
scene  of  a  terrible  massacre  by  the  Indians,  in  which  a  number  of  the  early 
white  settlers  lost  their  li\x.;  and  the  remainder  were  driven  in  terror  from 
their  homes.     A  few,  who  were  perhaps  more  unfortunate  than  their  nei^di 
bors  who  were  killed,  were  carried  away  by  the  Indians  to  suffer  the  horrors 
of  captivity  and  the  most  .ntrocious  treatment  b)-  their  savage  foes.     Thi-. 
Indian  raid  extended  to  many  settlements  and  a  large  section  of  countr\ 
was  devastated.     .So  great  was  the  excitement,  and  so  terrible  the  fear,  that 
multitudes  of  settlers  left  their  homes  long  before  the  attacking  party  reached 
them  and   fled  in  confusion  over  the  prairie.     At  this  time  there  were  six 
houses  at  the  Lake  and  but  few  of  their  occupants  escaped.     With  the  ex- 
pulsion of  the  Indians  the  settlement  and  development  of  the  region  com 
menced  anew  and   there  was  opened  a  jjcriod  of  permanent  ])rosperity,  in 
happy  contrast  with  the  troublous  times  of  its  early  history. 

Little  Spirit  Lake,  separated  from  Spirit  Lake  by  a  narrow  bit  of  land,  is 
a  beautiful  sheet  of  water  w  ith  most  inviting  surroundings.  Some  enthusias- 
tic tourists  have  asserted  that  this  region  is  the  most  attractive  summer  resort 
in  the  whole  Northwest.  Admirers  of  other  localities  may  think  this  an  ex- 
travagant claim,  but  only  a  brief  visit  will  be  required  to  convince  the  traveller 
that  if  it  is  not  absolutely  the  first  in  point  of  beauty,  it  is  certainly  "  in  the 
first  line"  of  charming  scenes.  The  beach  is  clean  and  sandy,  with  a  gentle 
s!oj)e  from  the  shore,  and  offers  an  excellent  place  for  bathing.  The  fishing 
in  this,  and  the  adjacent  lakes,  is  unexcelled.  The  waters  have  been  liberal!)' 
stocked  with  fish  of  excellent  varieties,  and  California  salmon  and  Mackinaw- 
trout,   as   well   as   whitcfish.   pickerel,   bass,   muskalonge,  and    perch  abound. 


M- 


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240      THE  GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OF   OUR   REPUBLIC. 

The  hunting  in  the  immediate  vicinity  is  as  fine  in  its  way  as  the  fishing'  ai 
the  hikes. 

About  four  miles  from  Spirit  Lake  is  tlie  celebrated  West  Okoboji  Lak.  . 
covering  an  area  of  about  4,ocX)  acres  but  with  so  many  bays  and  capes  tliit 
its  shore  line  measures  18  miles.  The  beach  sand  is  perfectly  white  and  cltni 
and  the  water  of  the  lake  is  so  clear  that  at  a  depth  of  25  feet  the  movenicm-, 
of  fishes  can  be  readily  seen.  East  Okoboji  is  also  a  beautiful  sheet  of  wati  r 
closely  resembling  ?  wide  and  peaceful  river.     A  peculiar  feature  of  this  lake 


VIKW    UN    I.nil.K   SI'IKir    I.AKK,    IOWA. 


'   ti: 

> 

iU^r  ■ 

1^  ■'  '■''■' 

mh 

is  seen  in  its  position,  lying,  as  it  does,  some  four  feet  lower  that  the  level  of 
another  body  of  water  from  which  it  is  separated  by  only  a  narrow  strij)  of 
ground. 

Turning  our  course  toward  the  north  we  enter  Minnesota,  another  State 
devoid  of  mountains,  but  widely  celebrated  for  the  number  and  extent  of  its 
lakes  ,'i/d  the  extreme  beauty  of  their  scenery.  Within  its  bounds  there  arc 
from  7,000  to  10,000  lakes,  not  one  of  which  covers  a  less  area  than  30  acres. 
Of  these  the  most  widely  known,  the  most  popular  with  tourists,  and  in  some 
particulars  the  most  charming,  is  Lake  Minnetonka.  Situated  only  a  few 
miles  from  St.  Paul  it  is,  from  that  point,  or  from  Minneapolis,  easily  reached 


di.!;** 


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242      THE  GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OF   OUR    REPUBLIC. 

by  the  St.  Paul,  Minneapolis  and   Manitoba   Railroad,  which   runs  frccimnt 
trains  directly  to  the  lake. 

In  the  irregularity  of  its  form  Lake  Minnetonka  is  one  of  the  most  pinii- 
liar  bodies  of  water  ever  discovered.  It  is  about  15  miles  in  length,  follow- 
ing an  air  line,  but  the  indentations  are  so  numerous  and  so  extensive  a^  ;i) 
give  it  a  coast  line  of  not  less  than  250  miles.  The  effect  of  this  wondciiiii 
contour  is  heightened  by  the  character  of  the  shores,  w  hi,,  ii 
present  numerous  elevations  and  in  many  portions  arc 
covered  with  a  large  and  beautiful  forest  growth. 

The  visitor  will  find  that  while  nature  has  been  la\  isli 
with  her  beauties,  presenting  charming  scenes  from  L\cr\ 
point  of  view,  man  has  also  made  abundant  provision  for 
his  comfort.  Upon  the  beach  he  will  find  the  Hotel  La- 
fayette,  1,100  feet  in  length  by  100  feet  in  width,  with  wide 
piazzas,  and  in  all  its  exterior  construction  beautified  ani! 
adorned  by  the  architect's  skill.  The  interior  is  also  beau 
tiful,  is  furnished  in  a  luxurious  manner,  and  the  guest 
can  here  find  all  the  comforis  and  conveniences  which  it 
is  possible  to  supply.  At  various  other  locations  alouL; 
the  shore  many  quiet  retreats  can  be  found  for  those  wiiu 
desire  a  more  secluded  life  than  that  at  the  fashionable 
resorts.  The  climate  is  almost  perfect.  Even  durini; 
mid-summer  the  days  and  nights  are  delightfully  cocjI  ami 
iiLMi.NG  scic.NK.       tiie  breezes  fresh  and  invigorating. 

The  numerous  points  of  interest  along  the  .shores  of  the 'lake  are  easily 
reached  by  the  fine  side-wheel  steamers  which  ply  upon  its  waters.  Some  ot 
these  boats  are  large  enough  to  carry  1,500  or  2,000  people,  and  all  are  fitted 
up  in  an  elegant  manner.  They  leave  Wayzata,  on  Wayzata  Bay,  and  pass 
to  the  little  village  of  Excelsior,  which  was  one  of  the  earlier  settlements  in 
the  region  and  is  now  a  quiet  but  popular  summer  resort.  Touching  at  other 
places  of  interest  the  boat  passes  through  the  Narrows  to  the  upper  lake. 
where  Spring  Park  is  located,  islands  covered  with  forests  abound,  and  nu 
merous  exceedingly  beautiful  views  are  presented.  As  there  are  nearly  fift\- 
steamers,  one  hundred  sail  boats,  and  nurnberless  row  boats,  no  visitor  who 
desires  a  sail  on  the  lake  need  be  disappointed.  The  fishing  is  also  very  fine. 
Some  of  the  best  varieties  of  bass  are  here  obtained  as  well  as  many  other 
kinds  of  fish   which   the  sportsman  delights  to  secure.     On   account  of  its 


'it 


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244      THE   GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OF   OUR   REPUBLIC. 

many  attractions,  both  as  regards  natural  scenery  and  what  man  has  done  i 
supply  the  comforts  of  civiHzation,  it  is  not  strange  that  Lake  Minnctonk 
]ias  received  the  appellation  of  "the  Saratoga  of  the  Northwest."     h  is  i;, 
teresting  to   remember  that  the   Falls  of   Minnehaha,  to  which   LongfcJld 
attracted  wide  attention  by  (Mie  of  his  famous  poems,  are  on  one  of  the  out 
lets  of  this  lake  and  only  a  short  distance  from  Minneapolis. 


Leaving  St.  Paul  by  the  Northern   Pacific  Railroad  the  traveller  will 


.•,K 


pass  through  a  magnificent  lake  region.  Arriving  at  Detroit  City,  the  ca[)i 
tal  of  Becker  County,  he  should  remain  for  a  few  days  at  least,  and  eiijo\ 
the  scene  here  presented  to  view.  He  will  find  himself  in  the  midst  of  a  vei\- 
rich  agricultural  section.  The  State  of  Minnesota  is  justly  celebrated  for  the 
excellent  quality  of  its  wheat,  and  Becker  is  the  leading  county  in  the  pn  - 
duction  of  this  cereal.  The  visitor  is  also  in  what  is  known  as  the  Lake  I'aik 
region  of  the  State,  a  region  containing  a  large  number  of  most  beautit'ul 
lakes  and  remarkably  rich  and  diversified  scenery. 

The  cit\-  of  Detroit  is  227  miles  ilistant  from  St.  Paul  and  has  a  charmiiiL; 
location.  Looking  eastward  a  beautiful  timbered  country  is  seen.  1  urniiiL; 
toward  the  west  the  prairie  stretches  away  as  far  as  the  eye  can  reach.  Onl) 
half  a  mile  away  is  Detroit  Lake,  famed,  even  in  this  region  of  magnificent 
lakes,  for  its  wonderful  beauty.  Near  by  are  beautiful  bluffs  with  cool  am! 
quiet  glens,  game  is  plenty,  fishing  is  excellent,  the  air  is  clear,  and  the 
natural  surroundings  are  delightful.  Tiie  tourist  also  finds  excellent  hotel 
accommodations.  Only  25  miles  distant,  on  the  north,  is  the  Reservation  ol 
the  Chippewa  or  Ojibway  Indians,  to  which  a  very  pleasant  visit  maj-  he 
easily  made.  The  tribe  numbers  about  1,500.  Visitors  are  kindly  receiwd 
and  find  an  intelligent,  c'vilized,  and  to  a  good  degree,  Christianized  peopU;. 

Again  taking  the  S..  Paul,  Minneapolis  and  Manitoba  Railroad  and  resum- 
ing our  journe)-  toward  the  west  we  come  to  the  new  State  of  North  Dakota, 
which,  with  its  sister  State  of  South  Dakota,  until  the  spring  of  1889  formed 
the  great  Territory  of  Dakota.  In  point  of  size  it  was  the  largest  Territory 
in  the  Union,  and  was  equalled  in  area  by  only  two  States,  Texas  and  Cali- 
fornia. On  account  of  the  beauty  of  much  of  its  scenery,  and  of  the  sharp!)- 
marked  contrasts  which  it  presents,  it  has  been  styled  the  "  Wonderlaml." 
'  iie  State  lies  mostly  in  the  region  known  as  the  "Great  Plains,'"  but  at  a 
somewhat  lower  altitude  than  the  southern  portion  of  the  plateau  thus  desig- 
nated. Among  its  numerous  interesting  features  its  large  lakes  are  worthy 
of  special  mention.     To  one  of  these  we  will  now  turn  our  attention. 


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246      THE   GREAT  WONDERLANDS  OF   OUR    RErUHLIC: 


V^ 


:  m 


Lake  Minnewakan,  or,  as  it  is  popularly  called,"  Devil's  Lake,"  is  the  l;ir. 
est  body  of  water  in  the  State  and  is  also  the  most  peculiar.  It  is  locateil  in 
Ramsey  County,  in  the  northeastern  portion  of  the  State.  In  a  charniinL; 
location  upon  its  northern  shore  is  the  capital  of  the  county,  Devil's  I.akr 
City,  the  western  terminus  of  the  St.  Paul,  Minneapolis,  and  Manitoba  Rail- 
road, and  quite  a  business  centre.  Here  will  be  found  ample  accommodations 
for  visitors,  while  parties  who  prefer  to  "  camp  out  "  will  have  no  difficult)-  in 
securing  everything  needed  for  their  comfort.  On  the  route  the  traveller  will 
pass  through  the  Red  River  Valley,  famous  throughout  the  country  for  its 
immense  production  of  wheat  and  for  containing  the  largest  cultivated  farms 
in  the  world. 

Arrived  at  the  lake  the  tourist  will  wonder  how  it  came  by  a  name  of 
such  ill  omen.  For  he  will  find  that  the  appearance  of  this  remarkable  sheet 
of  water  docs  not  at  all  correspond  with  its  title.  Instead  of  the  forbidding 
aspect  and  frowning  appearance  for  which,  if  knowing  nothing  of  its  charac- 
ter, he  will  be  prepared,  there  will  come  to  his  view  a  sheet  of  limpid  water 
and  shores  of  exquisite  loveliness,  while  the  more  distant  surroundings  are 
also  full  of  beauty  tinged  very  strongly  with  romance.  How,  then,  came  this 
name,  which  is  suggestive  of  every  evil,  to  be  fastened  upon  the  lake  ?  The 
ans\^er  is  easy.  It  was  due  to  an  error  of  the  early  travell  •'s;  through  this 
section.  They  designed  to  use  an  Indian  expression  meaning  "  opirit  water," 
but  unfortunately  adopted  a  somewhat  similar  one  signifying  utter  wor'.liless- 
ness  for  quenching  thirst.  The  town  which  grew  up  upon  its  shore  received 
the  same  opprobrious  title,  and  the  effort  made  to  change  the  name  of  the 
lake  to  Minnewakan  has  met  with  little  success. 

In  outline  the  lake  is  extremely  irregular  and  presents  a  very  extended 
and  remarkably  beautiful  shore  line.  There  are  various  elevations  from 
which  extensive  views  of  the  surrounding  country  may  be  obtained.  From 
the  northern  shore  there  is  a  good  view  of  a  military  post  named  Fort  Totten, 
and  of  a  mountain  peak  called  Devil's  Heart,  which  can  be  seen  forty  miles 
away.  Although  so  clear  and  beautiful  in  appearance  the  water  of  the  lake 
is  strongly  impregnated  with  salt.  It  also  contains  other  matters,  as  soda, 
lime,  magnesium,  and  iron,  in  small  proportions,  and  has  proved  quite  effica- 
cious in  the  treatment  of  various  diseases.  On  account  of  the  saline  charac- 
ter of  the  water  and  the  form  of  the  beach  the  lake  furnishes  an  excellent 
place  for  bathing.  Many  visitors  have  claimed  that  there  is  no  finer  surf- 
bathing  oii  the  shore  of  the  Atlantic  than  can  be  found  in  this  inland  lake. 


■%; 


NATURAL   SCENERY   AND   CELEBRATED    RESORTS.      247 

The  attractions  of  the  locality  are  heightened  by  the  dry,  pure  air,  the  cool 
temperature  in  summer,  and  the  frequent  and  refreshing  breezes  which  pre- 
vail. The  fishing  is  excellent,  there  is  plenty  of  game  in  the  vicinity  for  the 
hunter,  there  are  good  roads  leading  to  various  points  of  interest,  and  three 
steamers  on  the  lake  by  which  any  locality  upon  its  shores  may  be  easily 
r  ached.  Altogether,  Devil's  Lake  presents  many  attractions  and  will  prove 
,1  pleasant  place  in  which  to  pass  a  summer  vacation. 


THE  ROCKIES  AND  BEYOND. 

N  and  beyond  the  Rocky  Mountain  region  the  scenes  of  interest  to 
the  tourist  are  practically  innumerable.  In  whatever  direction  he 
may  turn,  or  to  whatever  locality  he  may  go,  he  can  be  sure  that 
he  will  find  Nature  majestic  and  magnificent.  The  tame  and  the  common- 
place have  no  represen- 
tation here.  Every- 
thing is  on  a  splendid 
scale.  The  wonder  ex- 
cited by  ^ne  series  of 
views  will  change  to 
amazement  as  he  be- 
holds, a  little  farther 
on,  scenery  still  more 
l^rand  and  inspiring. 
The  constant  change, 
}  ct  unbroken  grandeur, 
v'H  seem  to  be  little 
less  than  miraculous. 

In  this  sketch  we 
shall  briefly  note  a  few 
of  the  wonders  of  the 
region  and  c\\\  atten- 
tion to  a  still  smaller 
number    of    the    cities  ^  western  contrast— nature  and  civilization. 

and  towns  which  have  sprung  up,  as  if  by  magic,  amid  these  sublime  scenes. 
We  shall  not  attempt  to  make  a  single  tour  which  will    include  a  visit    o 


'ill 


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n 


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ER-.v':|! 


24S       Tin:   GRKAT  WONDKKLAN'nS   OF   OUR    RHl'UHLIC: 

CMcli  pliicc  ilL'scribc'cl,  hut   sliall   trc.it    tlicm   somewhat   imlcpciulciitly.    T!    ; 
will  be  necessary  as  we  wisii  ti)   notice  several  places  wliich,  thoutfli  not  t,  ■• 
distant   from  eacli  other,  are   reached   by  different  routes  and  could  not  w  i  , 
be  inciudetl  in  a  continuous  trip. 

In  this  ma;4nificent  re,L,non  we  shall  find  cities  and  towns,  villages,  niinn 
camps,  aiul  scattered  farm-houses.  All  thise  are  of  comparatively  reccni 
date,  yet  some  of  them  already  have  historic  associations  and  are  of  inten  ,t 
to  the  _u[ener;d  reader  as  well  as  to  the  tourist.  The  opening  of  the  n^  v, 
countr)-.  the  conflicts  with  the  savage  tribes  which  claimed  the  land,  the 
building  of  towns  and  cities  in  this  wild  region  then  far  distant  from  civilize. I 
localities,  and  the  development  of  the  agricultural  resources,  recjuired  ,1 
degree  of  courage,  energy,  j^erseverance,  and  skill  which,  people  in  older  srt 
tied  sections  seldom  realize  and  still  more  rarely  appreciate.  The  debt  whicli 
the  residents  of  the  other  sections  of  the  country  own  to  the  pioneers  of  tlie 
Great  West  can  never  be  paid. 

Perhaps  in  no  locality  can  the  vast  changes  which  man  has  wrought  within 
a  brief  ])eriod  be  more  clearl)-  seen  than  they  are  at  Leadville,  Coloradn. 
Thirty  years  ago  it  lay  in  an  almost  unknown  region  and  was  without  an  in- 
habi*^ant.  A  multitude  of  men  had  been  drawn  to  Pike's  Peak  by  the  niiniiii; 
excitement  of  1859  and  were  disappointed.  A  few,  disgusted  with  the  results 
of  their  efforts  there,  determined  to  go  farther  into  the  mountainous  region 
and  search  for  gold.  Reaching  the  Arkansas  River  the}-  turned  their  course 
and  passed  up  the  valley,  making  many  searches  for  gold  but  finding  none. 
It  was  in  the  year  i860,  and  the  season  was  half  gone,  when  they  reached  a 
small  stream  which  they  followed  quite  a  distance  and  soon  discovered  placer 
mines  of  gold.  Three  gulches,  California,  Stray  Horse,  and  Iowa,  were 
quickly  found.  Before  winter  set  in  the  locality  had  a  population  of  o\cr 
8,000,  and  two  and  a  half  millions  of  dollars  worth  of  gold  had  been  obtained. 
In  1874  the  mines  seemed  exhausted  and  the  j)lace  was  practically  abandoned. 

Three  years  later  about  twenty  shanties  were  all  the  occupied  buildings 
standing  in  Leadville.  The  next  year,  1878,  it  was  found  that  the  carbonates, 
which  had  been  regarded  as  worse  than  useless  and  which  had  been  thrown 
anywhere  to  get  them  out  of  the  wa\',  contained  large  quantities  of  silver. 
The  tide  of  population  quickly  turned  and  within  a  year  the  residents  of 
Leadville  numbered  from  12,000  to  15,000.  Smelting  furnaces  were  erected 
and  vast  quantities  of  ore  were  obtained.  Millions  of  dollars'  worth  of  silver 
and  lead  have  been  secured,  as  well  as  considerable  quantities  of  gold,  and 


niimng  is 
o\cr  10,0c 


NATURAL   SCi'lNERY   AND   CRLEHRATKI)    RESORTS.      J49 

nn'nin^  is  still  vigorously  pursued.     The  present  permanent  residents  number 
(iviT  10,000,  and  there  's  also  a  larj^e  floating  [)opulation. 

In  the  manner  of  reaching  the  place,  as  well  as  in  the  character  and  dc- 
vi  lopnient  of  ilie  place  itself,  there  has  been  an  almost  miraculous  change. 
Ill  the  spring  of  1878  stages,  each  drawn  by  six  horses,  were  run  from  Denver 
,iiul  other  railroad  centres.  Many  eager  men  walked  through  the  snow  and 
iHUil.  md  multitudes  were  carried  by  private  teams.     Vast  mimljers  of  mules 


A    SCK.NK    ON     rllK    I.KADVll.l,       K'H    IK. 


and  oxen  were  used  to  haul  supplies  and  mining  machinery  to  the  new  town. 
Freight  rates  were  enormous  and  a  long  time  was  required  to  make  the 
journey.  The  discomforts  of  the  trip,  at  any  season  of  the  year,  were  numer- 
ous and  trying.  In  winter  the  cold  was  intense  and  progress  slow.  In  sum- 
mer the  dust  was  stifling.  In  spring  and  autumn  it  was  difificult  travelling  on 
.iccount  of  the  mud,  and  a  ride  over  the  rough  roads  in  the  conveyances  of 
that  period  was  tiresome  in  the  extreme.  Now  all  is  changed.  The  trip 
is  quickly  made  in  the  luxurious  cars  of    a  well-equipped  railroad  and  is 


'  't'i''',  H  '     ,•■'1-   IH 


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M^|ir---,Ei.:J 


250      Till-:   (iRKAT   WONDERLANDS   OF   OUR    REl'UHLIC: 

an   occasion    of   the   greatest   pleasure   instead    of    a  cause  of  weariness   aii  i 
annoyance. 

Arrivinj:j  at  our  destination  the  chanj^e  in  conditions  is  equally  ffreal. 
Instead  of  liavinj;  to  slei  ')  upon  the  floor  of  a  saloon,  in  a  canvas  tent,  m 
even  upon  bales  of  hay,  as  ^reat  numbers  had  to  do  in  the  early  days  of 
Leadville,  the  traveller  now  fiiuls  ample  accommodations  in  the  numerous  ami 
well-furnished  hotels  and  boarding  houses  which  are  ready  to  supplj-  hiui 
with  every  comfort. 

While  in  tills  \icinity  a  visit  should  be  paid  to  the  Mf)untain  of  the  Ib.ly 
Cross.  This  celebrated  formation  of  nature  is  a  peak  of  the  Saguache  raiiL;i' 
of  mountains,  's  .-.ituated  on  the  Great  Divide  of  Colorado,  in  Summit  County, 
just  above  the  line  separating  it  from  Lake  County,  eighteen  miles  north  n\ 
Massive  Mountain  and  twenty  miles  north  of  the  city  of  Leadville,  directly 
.south  of  .Mount  Powell,  ami  between  Roan  anil  the  Rocky  Mountains,  and 
has  a  height  of  14,176  feet  above  sea  level.  Its  geological  structure  is  of 
gneiss,  and  it  has  a  vertical  face  of  nearl)'  3,000  feet  on  the  side.  Notwith- 
standing the  multiplicity  of  wonders  in  this  region  of  continual  amazement, 
it  invariably  attracts  the  deepest  attention  of  the  tourist  because  of  the  enor- 
mous white  cross  that  seems  to  have  been  laid  on  its  very  crest.  There  are 
numerous  lines  of  whiteness  on  the  mountains  in  this  section,  but  none  save 
this  present  the  outline  of  a  complete  and  familiar  figure.  The  cause  of  tln' 
irregular  lines  of  white  are  the  outcroppings  of  the  rock  and  the  presence  of 
eternal  snow.  In  this  particular  instance,  the  trunk  of  the  cross  is  formed  by 
a  fissure  in  the  rock,  estimated  to  be  1,500  feet  long,  and  the  arms  or  crosspiece 
by  a  steppe  or  ledge  in  the  rock  on  which  snow  remains  all  the  year.  In  clear 
weather  the  cross  can  be  discerned  at  a  distance  of  from  fifty  to  eighty  miles. 

In  1S71,  Thomas  Moran,  the  distinguished  artist,  accompanied  the  United 
States  exploring  expedition  to  the  Yellowstone  country,  and  in  1873  made 
a  second  visit  and  took  sketches  for  his  famous  painting  of  "  The  Grand 
Cafion  of  the  Yellowstone  "  and  the  "  Chasm  of  the  Colorado,"  which  were 
purchased  by  Congress  for  $io,ooo  each,  and  are  now  in  the  Capitol  at  Wash- 
ington. He  also  brought  "The  Mountain  of  the  Holy  Cross"  to  the  atten- 
tion of  the  public  by  making  a  grand  painting  of  it,  which  was  exhibited  at 
the  Centennial  Exhibition  at  Philadelj)hia  in  1876,  and  took  a  medal  and 
diploma.  The  mountain  received  its  name  from  the  early  stage  drivers  and 
prospectors  for  the  precious  metals,  and  was  so  apposite  that  no  change  has 
ever  been  suggested. 


^IfeL 


't> 


Mf.J-i 


NATURAL   SCENERY  AND   CELEHRATEI)   RESORTS.      251 

Another  point  of  interest  not  far  distant  is  (icorfjctown,  also  in  Colorado, 
;ui(l  in  tiic  central  part  of  the  Rocky  Mountain  district.  It  is  about  50  miles 
\\cst  of  Denver 
,iiul  is  noted  for 
the  beauty  of  its 
location  as  well 
as  for  the  valua- 
hk-  mining;  inter- 
( sts  which  centre 
tin  re.  The  val- 
k\-,  or  rather  the 
canon,  for  it  lies 
111  the  celebrated 
Clear  Creek  Ca- 
ricin.  in  which  it 
is  i)uilt,  is  exceed- 
i  11  ;4  1  y  beautiful 
and  the  views  of 
the  mountain 
|)caks,  which  on 
three  siiies  wnll 
it  in,  are  simply 
ina<jnificent.  The 

town  lies  about  8,500  feet  above  the 
sea,  is  nicely  laid  out,  and  contains 
many  handsome  residences. 

A  visit  to  the  silver  mines  and 
the  extensive  reduction  works  will 
l)e    full   of  interest.      Many  charm- 

in;4  walks  can  be  taken  alon^  the  banks  of  the  beautiful 
sti earns  which  flow  throu<^h  the  place  and  which  combine 
with  others  to  form  the  water-course  known  as  Clear 
Creek — the  river  from  which  Clear  Creek  County,  of 
wiiich  (jcorgetown  is  the  capital,  derives  its  name.  A  very  pleasant  trip 
may  also  be  made  to  Green  Lake,  a  most  peculiar  as  well  as  beautiful  sheet 
of  water.  It  is  about  two  miles  from  the  town  and  lies  away  up  on  the 
mountain  side  some  two  thousand  feet  higher  than  the  town  itself.     It  was 


:!.!{.. 


MiUM    OK    THK    H1ILY 
IRosS. 


Ml 


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.'fill'/ 


'i^-M, 


I. ' 


2S2      THK   CRKAT  WONDERLANDS   C)I'   Ol'R    RICl'l'HLIC: 

once  a  valley  covered  with  trees,  which  still  remain  erect.  The  sand  ai 
the  bottom,  the  banks  of  the  lake  and  the  moss  which  heavily  drapts  tlitm, 
are  all  j^reen  and  from  this  fact  the  name  of  (ireen  Lake  was  chosen.  How 
the  lake  was  formed,  and  where  the  spring's  which  supply  it  are  located,  n., 
one  can  tell.  The  water  is  remarkably  clear  and  in  some  portions  of  tlir 
lake  is  very  deep.  At  one  end  of  the  lake  is  the  Cave  of  the  Winds,  where 
hu^e  rocks  are  piled  in  confused  forms  and  through  w  hich  the  breezes  pass 


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GEORGETOWN,  COIORADO. 


Ian 

J    i-J 


with  a  melancholy  sound.  The  Indians  have  a  legend  that  at  this  spot  certain 
opposing  gods  had  their  battle  ground  and  that  these  great  boulders  are  the 
weapons  with  which  their  warfare  was  waged. 

Tourists  who  are  not  burdened  with  wealth  may  be  interested  to  know 
that,  if  not  rich  themselves,  they  have,  while  in  Georgetown,  very  rich  sur- 
roundings. From  the  county  of  which  it  is  the  capital  more  than  twenty-five 
million  dollars'  worth  of  the  precious  metals  have  been  taken,  while  the  value 
of  the  minerals  still  remaining  is  altogether  beyond  human  calculation. 


NATURAL   SCKNKKV   AM)   CKLICHKATi:!)    RLSOKIS.      -'5.^ 

lAMviii};  (icor^jctowu  the  railrojul  wiiuls  aloii^;  the  cd^'c  nf  the  k'^'^U*-"  ""•' 
si  wlycUmbs  the  luoimtaiii  side,  'llu'  roailbetl  has  beer  cut  and  hl.istid  out 
(it  the  sohd  rock.  We  soon  pass  tht'  Devil's  (jate,  a  curious  chasm  tlirou,L;l> 
wliicli  tlie  creek  finds  its  way,  and  pursue  our  upward  course.  There  are 
iiiiinerous  curves  and  the  jjrade'is  sharp.  Comin^j  to  tlie  How  Knot  Loop  we 
sio  a  very  j)eculiar  and  expensive  but  in  such  locahties  a  necessary,  form  of 
r.iih'oail  engineering.  Lookin^j  upwanl  a  track  is  seen  overheail  on  an  iron 
briii^e  which  was  built  in  a  crescent  form.  Continuinj;  to  asceiul,  and  follow- 
in.;  a  short  curve,  this  iron  brid^je  is  crossed  and  the  tourist  looks  down  upon 
tlio  track  immediately  below 
but  over  which  the  train  has 
just  passed.  The  bridge  is 
yx)  feet  long  and  S6  feet 
ln<,di.  The  loop  of  which  it 
forms  a  part  is  said  to  be  the 
luost  complex  in  form  of  any 
railroad  loop  in  the  world. 

About  nine  miles  beyond 
Georgetown  lies  Graymont, 
the  terminus  of  the  Colorado 
Central  branch  of  the  Union 
Pacific  Railroad.  This  is  the 
point  from  which  to  make  ex- 
cursions to  Gray's  Peak.  The 
ascent  is  not  very  difficult 
and  the  views  along  the  route, 
and  from  the  summit,  give  unbounded  pleasure.  The  mountain  is  14,441 
feet  high.  This  is  nearly  300  feet  higher  than  Pike's  Peak  and  only  23  feet 
less  in  height  than  Mount  Blanco.  The  latter  is  believed  to  be  the  highest 
peak  in  the  United  States  exclusive  of  Alaska.  • 

Though  not  distant  from  Graymont  the  peak  is  shut  out  from  view  by 
other  and  nearer  mountains.  Ascent  must  be  made  on  horseback.  For  a 
mile  or  two  the  road  is  good.  Then  it  changes  to  a  path,  narrow,  b'lt  not 
(lifificult  to  follow.  The  grade  soon  becomes  quite  sharp  and  the  route  is  cir- 
cuitous. After  a  ride  of  a  few  miles  the  massive  form  of  Gray's  Peak,  with 
its  beautiful  and  eternal  crown  of  snow,  comes  fully  into  view.  It  looms  up 
in  enormous  proportions,  silent,  and  awful  in  its  majestic  greatness.     As  we 


1)K\IL  S   IIAIK, 


I 


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'if 


§ 


.  :\y,'i  .-,  :;* 


5-sv^ 


mi 
m 


lll^i^^ 


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254      THE   GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OF   OUR    REPUBLIC; 


m 


im- 


IV: 

■  '-'f  . 


ascend,  the  air  becomes  rarefied  and  the  temperature  is  reduced.  As  t.,o 
snow  hne  is  approaclied  many  flowers  will  be  noticed  upon  the  sunny  slopes. 
But  long  before  the  summit  i;  attained  the  line  of  vegetation  is  passi.(|. 
Looking  backward  the  wintiing  trail  over  which  we  have  come  may  be  viis 
ccrned.  Hills  and  mountains,  with  narrow  valleys,  arc  seen  far  below.  Hut 
it  is  from  the  summit  of  the  peak  that  the  "  unapproachable  view  "  is  obtained. 
From  this  point  all  the  .;re.'  .  parks  in  the  State  may  be  seen.  Lookiii" 
toward  the  east  vast  plains  are  in  view  with  many  towns.     Rivers  appear  liki 

ribbons  of  light  extend- 
ing for  hundreds  of  miles. 
Mountains  are  seen  on 
every  hand.  Ten  or 
twelve  of  the  peaks  in 
sight  are  each  more  than 
14,000   feet    high.      Tlu 


spectacle  is  sublime.  In 
describing  it  one  writer 
r  e  mark  s  as  follows : 
"They  who  have  tra- 
versed the  globe  say  that 
it  affords  but  one  sucli 
prospect.  A  pictured 
landscape  so  mighty  in 
conception  that  it  over- 
powers, yet  harmonious 
as  an  anthem  in  all  its  in- 
finite diffusion  of  color 
and  form,  framed  only 
by  the  limit  of  the  rye's  vision —a  picture  where  the  lakes  gleam  and  the 
rivers  flow — where  the  trees  nod  and  the  cloud-ships  clash  in  mystic  collision 
with  the  peaks  that  have  invaded  their  realm,  while  the  moving  sun  floods  it 
with  real  life  and  warmth." 

No  description  of  the  mountain,  or  of  the  view  from  its  summit,  can  ade- 
quately set  forth  the  solemn  and  majestic  grandeur  of  the  scene  itself.  No 
painting,  with  words  or  with  colors,  can  fully  jjortray  the  magnificent  sur- 
roundings. Wherever  else  he  may  go  in  this  wonderful  State,  or  whatever 
marvels  he  may  behold,  the  tourist  who  has  looked  from  this  lofty  height  will 


CRAY  S    TKAK. 


4    r 


NATURAL   SCENERY   AND   CELEBRATED   RESORTS,      255 

viLid  ready  assent  to  the  as- 
siition  that  "Gray's  Peak  is 
Colorado's  finest  attraction." 

In  the  great  caHons  of 
Colorado  the  tourist  will  find 
innumerable  .icenes  of  grand- 
eur. Tho  paths  wind  around 
and  over  the  rocks,  among 
tlu:  tall  pines  which 'skirt  the 
ij.inks  of  the  roaring  and 
foaming  stream.  The  mas- 
sive walls  ri.se  high  in  the  air. 
Deep  gorges  appear  in  which 
tlie  rays  of  the  sun  find  their 
\\a\-  only  at  midday.  In 
many  of  the  deep  recesses 
snow  may  be  found  at  all 
times  (if  the  year.  While 
examining  these  immense 
goiLjes,  the  mind  is  filled  with 
amazement  at  the  sublime 
scenes  which  appear  on  every 
h.uul. 

Ainong  the  most  beauti- 
ful of  the  scenes  in  this  re- 
gion, or  even  in  the  world, 
nia\-  lie  named  the  Cheyenne 
CaAons  and  the  Seven  Falls, 
which  are  reached  by  the 
main  line  of  the  Denver  and 
Rio  Grande  Railroad.  The)- 
art'  located  in  the  Cheyenne 
Mountain,  itself  an  object  of 
beauty  which  ii^  admired  by 
all  who  obtain  a  view  of  its 
magnificent  form,  about  two  em  vi  .nnk  iai.ls. 

miles  south  of  Colorado  Springs.     To  many  thousands  of  people  who  have 


MJB',,     ■'■■  ,'i  lis;}! 

mm]  I 

Ik':,:  ■  Hit 


■  .,J,       ■  ■  ■'■■•■'■  ^ 

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<'l':1     ■■ 


mi 

V'.' 

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I' 

ip  :  ■■   ■ 

1'     ■^■                 .       . 

fid,:'.. 

\W:. 


256      THE   GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OF   OUR    REPUBLIC: 

ro.ul  her  bc;uitifiil  poems  and  entertaining  stories  this  mountain  will  have  i 
dec[)  intcrL'st  as  the  burial  place  of  "  H.  H.,"  iMrs.  Helen  Hunt  Jackson. 

Of  the  two  caflons  in  thfs  vicinity  the  South  Cheyenne  is  the  most  widely 
known.     The  stream  is  crossed  eleven  times  before  the  head  of  the  <ror"^e  . 
gained.     Then  a  series  of  seven  beautiful  falls  is  reached.     Looking  upwai.i 
the  mountain  peaks  seem  to  touch  the  sky.     Looking  downward  we  see  ;i 

deep  and  narrow  chasm 
tlirough  which  the  stream 
rushes  in  its  w  i  11  d  i  11  <^ 
course  over  a  rough  and 
rocky  bed. 

The  North  Cheyenne 
Cailon  is  less  wild  and 
rugged  in  its  appearance. 
Possibly  it  is  somewhat 
less  romantic.  But  it  is 
not  wanting  in  grandeur. 
Were  it  not  for  compari 
son  with  the  magnificent 
gorges  of  the  surrouiul- 
ing  region  it  would  he 
considered  sublime.  The 
walls  rise  to  grand  heights 
and  their  pinnacles  re- 
flect in  beauty  the  light 
of  the  sun  as  it  strikes 
them  at  various  angles. 
The  stream  flows  more 
smoothly  than  it  does  in 
the  South  Caflon  and  the 
walls  are  not  as  regular 
in  their  outlines,  though  very  beautiful  in  form.  There  is  a  vigorous  growth 
of  shrubs  and  vines  interspersed  with  the  pines.  All  that  is  lost  in  wildness 
is  more  than  made  up  in  a  loveliness  which  no  pen  can  adequately  describe 
and  which  only  those  who  have  seen  it  can  appreciate. 

In  the  same  vicinity,  only  five  miles  from  Colorado  Springs,  are  the  cele- 
brated  Manitou  Springs,  which  every  tourist  to  Colorado  should  be  sure  to 


NA' 

^;.ut.      Th 


IN    MIRril    CIII'.VKNNK    CANON. 


lave  i 

idcly 
Jwai-i! 

Sec     ,; 

-liasiii 

trcai,] 

i  n  ■  r 

Ji  and 


NATURAL   SCENERY   AND   CELEBRATED   RESORTS.      257 

\:  it.  The  point  of  departure  will  be  Colorado  Springs,  from  which  place  the 
tii[)can  be  made  by  carriage  or  bj- a  train  on  the  Manitou  branch  of  the 
1  )cnver  and  Rio  Grande  Railroad,  which  will  take  us,  by  a  winding  course  and 
tliinugh  picturesque  scenes,  to  Manitou.  This  place  has  many  and  varied 
attractions.  Before  it  was  settled  by  white  men  the  Indians  had  learned 
>(iniething  of  the  medicinal  value  of  the  Si)rings  and  fret|uently  brou^I.t  their 
-ick  here  to  be  healed  b\' 
the  apparently  magical 
|iijwer  of  the  waters. 
Then  the  miners  who  had 
lost  health  and  strength 
hy  the  exposure,  toil,  and 
privations  to  which,  for 
many  years,  they  had 
been  subjected,  began  to 
test  the  waters  and  found 
them  remarkably  efficient 
in  restoring  health  and 
\igor.  The  fame  of  the 
waters  spread  and  visitors 
from  abroad  were  at- 
tracted. Invalids  were 
benefited.  The  well  were 
delighted.  The  magnifi- 
cence of  the  scenery  com- 
bined with  the  medicinal 
(]ualities  of  the  waters  to 
render  the  region  alluring 
to  travellers,  and  it  soon 
became  known  as  the 
"  Saratoga  of  Colorado." 
During  the  warm  season  multitudes  of  people,  including  representatives  from 
many  foreign  lands,  visit  these  Springs.  Many  come  for  health ;  more  come 
for  pleasure.  All  find  a  beautiful  locality  and  everjthing  that  is  necessary 
for  promoting  their  comfort  and  haj^piness. 

The  important   springs,  of  which  there   are  six,  vary  somewhat   in   the 
character  of  their  waters,  but  .'.11  CM-'tain  carbonic  acid  in  considerable  quanti- 


A    CI.IMI'sK   <il-    MAMIor    AM)    I'IKI-  ^    I'KAK. 


i:y.:^^.i||il 

III  liii  I 


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m 


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m 


258       THE   GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OF   OUR    REPUBLIC : 

tics.  The  lowest  in  temperature  is  43°,  the  highest  56".  All  are  effervescent, 
but  some  have  this  quality  in  a  much  higher  degree  than  others.  Some  ar  .• 
strongly  impregnated  with  soda,  lime,  and  magnesia,  while  others  contain  iro;; 
in  a  marked  degree.  Of  part  of  these  springs  the  water  is  used  for  bathin. 
as  well  as  for  drinking  purposes.  The  pure,  dry  air  undoubtedly  adds  greath- 
to  the  efificiency  of  the  waters,  while  the  pleasant  surroundings  strongly  teiui 
to  make  the  invalid  "  feel  he.-^ter  '  at  once. 

As  for  the  village,  it  is  a*:tracti  /ely  located  on  the  sides  of  the  valley  in 
which  the  springs  are  fount'.  A  beautiful  stream,  filled  with  water  foniK  d 
by  the  melted  snow  from  the  adjacent  mountains,  flows  through  *.;;  ;  place. 

There  are  prett\- 
groves  of  trees  of 
various  kinds,  and 
the  shrubs  ami 
plants  natural  to 
high  altitudes  here 
abound.  Excellent 
;'.     hotels    provide    for 


rilK    MINKRAI.    SPRINCS,    MAN'ITOl',    COLORADO. 


,1     i\    . 

I^r     the  comfort  of  the 

.;!>^s     tourist,    who     ni;i\- 

t 

vv       here  find  not  mere- 

ly  the  conveniences 

but  the  luxuries  of 

the  most  advanced  civilization.     The  views  from  the  piazzas  of  these  hotels 

are    extensive  and    magnificent,  as  indeed   they  are    from  any  point  which 

one  can  reach  in  this  vicinity. 

While  itself  a  splendid  centre  of  attraction,  many  points  in'the  region  sur- 
rounding ^L1nitou  should  also  be  visited.  It  is  claimed  that  no  other  resort 
in  the  world  has  so  many  objects  01  interest  hi  its  immediate  vicinity.  How- 
ever that  may  be,  and  we  have  no  inclination  to  dispute  the  claim,  it  is  certain 
that  magnificent  scenes  abound  and  that  there  is  abundant  variety  as  well  as 
marvellous  beauty  and  grandeur  in  the  whole  region. 

The  ascent  of  Pike's  Peak,  though  difficult,  is  to  be  made  if  possible.  It 
will  open  numberless  magnificent  scenes,  and  from  the  summit,  which  is  the 
highest  inhabited  point  in  North  America,  a  glorious  view,  which  will  never 
be  forgotten,  will  be  obtained.  All  al^ng  the  trail  there  are  changes  of  scene^ 
antl  varied  forms  i.f  beauty  apj)ear.     There  are  gorges  clothed  in  luxuriant 


NA' 

oucn,  bea 
{,,]  cascad 
in.ius  bou 
tlic  great 
in  lieight 
The     hor 
sions  in 
be  made 
jiick   the! 
along  the 
under 
rocks,  anc 
cents.    A; 
are  gainec 
vals   for  I 
The    rart 
continuoi 
possible, 
nothing  b 
it    gives 
backward 
area    now 
We    see 
plains,  le 
ui)on  tht 
recently 
the  tree; 
l).mks  of 
and  too 
(listingui 
tlieir  ai( 
upon  wl 
Whe 
which  f< 
portunil 
is  smoo 
pass  on 


> 

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v..  - 

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mi'- 

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m^i.i 

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llRS^i^ 

..;,i, 

P; 

mM^}f 

k-3' 

i 

NATURAL   SCENERY   AND   CELEBRATED   RESORTS. 


!59 


(i^u  en,  beautiful  streams  rushing  down  their  rocky  beds  and  falling  in  gracc- 
f'.i!  ciiscades  over  precipices  of  varying  heights  but  constant  charms.  Enor- 
inmis  boulders  lie  all  around.  Elevation  after  elevation  is  climbed  but  still 
the  great  Peak  toward  which  w-  move  apparently  recedes.  But  each  increase 
ill  lieight  opens  a  wider  field  of  observation  than  had  previously  been  seen  reel. 
llic  horses — for  excur- 
sions in  this  region  must 
be  made  on  horseback — 
pick  their  way  carefully 
along  the  narrow  ledges, 
under  the  overhanging 
rocks,  and  up  the  steep  as- 
cents. As  greater  heights 
are  gained  frequent  inter- 
\als  for  rest  are  needed. 
riie  rarefied  air  makes 
continuous  exertion  im- 
possible. But  we  lose 
nothing  by  the  delay.  For 
it  gives  us  time  to  look 
backward  over  the  vast 
area  now  open  to  view. 
We  see  widely  extended 
plains,  look  downward 
upon  the  valley  which  we 
recently  left,  gaze  upon 
the  trees  which  line  the 
banks  of  streams  too  small 
anil  too  far  away  to  be 
distinguished  w  i  t  h  o  u  t 
their  aid,  and  then  looking  upward  and  forward  we  see  the  majestic  peak 
upon  which  we  hope  and  expect  ere  long  to  stand. 

When  about  h.alf  the  distance  has  been  passed  we  come  to  a  level  spot 
which  forms  a  natural  park  and  furnishes  an  excellent  and  much-needed  op- 
l)ortunity  to  take  a  longer  rest  than  we  have  yet  secured.  Here  the  surface 
is  smooth  and  reminds  one  of  a  meadow  on  some  rjver  bank.  But  when  we 
})ass  on  we  soon  come  to  a  steep  and  rocky  path  which  we  must  climb  for 


jli^ 

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A 

I'lKK  S    I'KAK     IKAII 


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260      THE   GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OF   OUR    REPUBLIC: 

three  miles.  This  will  prove  a  difificult  and  exhausting  feat.  The  temp  a- 
ture  has  been  rapidly  falling  and  as  we  climb  these  precipitous  ledges  liic 
cold  becomes  severe.  But  while  we  suffer  from  the  cold  the  great  e.xerilwn 
and  the  rarefied  air  cause  the  horses  to  pant  as  from  mid-summer  heat.  \t 
length  the  summit  is  gained  and  we  stand  upon  the  magnificent  peak  \\\)\d\ 
has  charmed  us  with  its  beauty  from  afar. 

The  top  of  the  mountain  has  an  area  of  about  seventy  acres,  not  of  l.uul 
but  of  stones  and  rocks.  From  any  and  every  point  of  the  compass  tin  re 
are  splendid  views.     The  prairies  in  the  far  east  stretch  away  to  an  almost 

limitless  distance.  In  all  directions  the  moun- 
tains in  the  vicinity  rise  in  beauty  and  grandeur. 
As  the  sun  goes  down,  the  changing  lights  and 
fleeting  shadows  make  a  picture  to  be  forever  re- 
membered but  never  described.  In  the  house 
erected  for  the  officer  of  the  Government  sii^nial 
service  we  remain  until  morning.  The  air  is 
sharp  and  cold  and  is  so  rare  that  it  gives  a  feel- 
ing strongly  akin  to  sea-sickness.  But  in  tlie 
morning  when  we  behold  the  glories  of  the  risiiv^r 
sun  discomforts  are,  for  a  time,  forgotten.  The 
return  trip  to  Manitou,  though  not  without  its 
annoyances,  is  less  difficult  than  the  ascent.  The 
tourist  is  glad  to  reach  the  warmer  region  of  the 
Springs  and  while  he  will  never  regret  the  trip 
he  will  not  care  to  go  over  the  route  again — at 
least,  not  until  another  summer. 
RAiNHow  FAILS.  ^  Hiuch  shortcr,  but  very  pleasant  trip,  is  up 

the  Ute  Pass  to  Rainbow  F..!ls  and  beyond.  The  Falls  are  in  a  narrow 
caflon  through  which  the  Fountain  Creek  rushes  with  impetuous  force,  for 
many  hundred  feet,  to  the  valley  below.  At  the  Falls  it  passes  over  a  pre 
cipice  forming  a  beautiful  cascade.  The  name  of  the  Falls  is  derived  from 
the  fact  that  at  certain  hours,  when  the  sun  is  in  the  right  position  to  pro- 
duce such  an  effect,  a  beautiful  rainbow  may  be  seen. 

The  Garden  of  the  Gods  will,  of  course,  be  visited.  Mere  massive  rocks, 
of  a  bright  red  color,  rise  from  a  level,  grass-covered  plain  to  a  height  of  330 
feet  and  form  a  rude  but  magnificent  gateway  to  the  open  field  beyond,  where 
the  finest  views  of  Pike's  Peak  and  many  other  points  of  interest  are  obtained. 


NATURAL   SCENERY   AND   CELEBRATED    RESORTS.      261 

Here  one  seems  to  stand  in  the  presence  of  the  supernatural  in  its  greatest 
majesty.  The  wildness  and  grandeur  are  indescribable.  The  grotesque 
fis^nires  which  seem  to  be  carved  ui)on  these  massive  walls,  the  immense  rocks 
(if  ail  conceivable  forms,  the  numerous  pillars  rising  like  monuments  toward 
the  sky,  the  grand,  almost  awful  surroundings,  make  a  picture  which  language 
is  powerless  to  portray. 

Toltec  Gorge,  on  the  Silvcrton  branch  of  the  Denver  and  Rio  Grande 
Railroad  and  a  little  more  than  300  miles  from  Denver,  is  another,  and  an 
important,  point  of  interest  in  this  land  of  wonderful  views.  For  miles  before 
this  point  is  reached  the  scenery  is  sublime.  There  is  a  gradual  increase  of 
w  ildncss,  a  steady  rising  to  greater  heights, 
the  chasms  sink  to  more  appalling  depths, 
tlic  mountains  present  a  more  rugged  ap- 
pearance. Near  Toltec  station  the  road 
passes  through  a  tunnel  cut  through  the 
massive  cUfi.  At  one  end  of  this  tunnel  a 
bridge  spans  the  fearful  chasm,  here,  by 
actual  measurement,  i,ioofeetin  depth.  At 
some  points,  where  the  road  runs  near  the 
eilge,  the  gorge  is  said  to  be  1,500  feet  deep. 
\\  lien  these  spots  are  safely  passed,  as  they 
always  have  been,  even  the  most  experi- 
enced traveller  feels  a  sense  of  relief. 

A  short  distance  west  of  this  tunnel, 
and  only  a  few  feet  from  the  track,  stands 
a  massive  granite  monument  erected  by 
members  of  the  National  Association  of  General  Passenger  and  Ticket  Agents 
of  the  railroads  of  the  United  Spates  in  memory  of  the  late  President  Gar- 
field. Representatives  of  this  Association  held  memorial  services  here  on 
the  day  of  his  burial,  September  26th,  1881.  Excursionists  from  many  differ- 
ent States  participated  with  them  in  the  mournful  and  impressive  exercises. 

Among  the  grandest  of  the  natural  phenomena  of  the  region  is  the  Grand 
Caflon  of  the  Arkansas.  This  is  a  marvellous  gorge,  eight  miles  in  length, 
through  which  the  Arkansas  River  finds  its  way  on  its  journey  of  more  than 
2,000  miles  to  the  point  at  which  it  enters  the  Mississippi.  It  is  traversed 
by  the  main  line  of  the  Denver  and  Rio  Grande  Railroad,  lies  between  Caflon 
City  and  Parkdale,  the  former  station  being  161  miles  from  Denver.     A  few 


i;ARl'Iia.l>    MKMORtAL. 


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262       THE   GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OF   OUR   REI'UHLIC: 

miles  beyond  Carton  City  the  opening  of  the  gorge  appears.  Vast  piles  .f 
sandstone  and  limestone  rocks  rise  abruptly  from  the  river  banks.  A  narr  ;\v 
defile  is  entered.  Precipitous  walls  arise  on  either  side.  They  rapidl)  i;,. 
crease  in  height.  The  effect  of  this  increasing  altitude  upon  the  traveller  ;^ 
peculiar.  He  seems  to  be  going  downward.  Instead  of  the  mountains  oiiK 
becoming  higher  from  their  bases  the  road-bed  also  seems  to  be  settling  into 
the  depths  of  the  earth.     The  roar  of  the  river  mingles  with  the  noise  of  ih^. 

train  and  the  sound  is 
thrown  back  by  the  ni.i-,- 
sive  walls.  Both  siglu-. 
and  sounds  soon  becoino 
almost  nppressi\e. 

At  length  the  train 
swings  ar  o  u  n  d  a  lon^ 
curve,  by  which  it  avoids 
the  mountain  wall  which 
lay  directly  in  its  path, 
and  he;uls  in  cjuite  a  dif 
fcrcnt  direction.  Heir 
we  come  to  the  might}- 
cliffs  of  the  Royal  Gorge. 
The  best  view  is  secund 
from  the  c  j  1  e  b  r  a  t  cd 
hanging  bridge.  Heir 
the  walls  of  the  chasm 
rise  in  i  n  con  c  ei  vabl  e 
grandeur  2,6cx)  feet  abu\  c 
the  track  and  seem  tn 
almost  pierce  the  sky. 
The  fearful  heights,  the 
tremendous  depths,  the  sunlight  and  the  shadows,  the  rush  of  the  river  ami 
the  sweep  of  the  train  as  it  passes  through  this  terrific  chasm,  make  a  picture 
which  will  remain  in  the  mind  forever,  but  which  it  is  an  utterly  hopeless 
task  to  attempt  to  describe.  What  fearful  convulsions  of  nature  must  have 
been  required  to  throw  up  these  ponderous  walls  thousands  of  feet  toward 
the  heavens  and  cleave  this  miraculous  gorge  for  many  miles  through  the 
very  heart  of  the  mountain  range  !    The  first  view  of  these  sublime  scenes  is 


GRAM)   CASoN    of    IIIK    ARKANSAS. 


NATURAL   SCENERY  AND   CELEHRyVTED    RESORTS.      263 

almost  ovcrpowcrinf^.  There  is  something  terrible  in  their  majestic  grandeur, 
l-.iiiiiliarity  with  the  region  relieves  this  impression  in  some  degree,  but  the 
fri  ling  of  amazement  is  never  effaced.  However  frequently  the  scenes  may 
|,t  viewed,  or  memory  may  bring  them  to  mind,  the  emotion  of  M'ondcr 
remains  constant  and  undi- 
iiiiiiished. 

The  caAon  does  not  end 
wilii  the  gorge  but  continues 
fdi  mi!es  beyond.  The  river 
[)lini</js  over  precipices  or 
ru-^hes  madly  down  steep  de- 
si Lilts.  It  flows  for  most  of 
the  distance  between  rocky 
w.ills  which  rise  in  vast  piles 
■iiul  irregular  outline,  but 
near  the  western  portion 
tiurc  is  an  opening  through 
which  beautiful  views  are 
obtained. 

A  branch  railroad  runs 
uj)  to  souie  iron  mines  a  few 
miles  away.  This  road  is 
said  to  have  the  steepest 
ascent  in  the  world  of  any 
road  on  which  the  engines 
do  not  have  cog-wheels.  The 
grade  is  406  feet  per  mile. 
The  ascent  with  empty  cars 
is  difficult.  The  descent 
with  cars  loaded  with  ore  is 
not  only  difficult  but  dan- 
gerous. The  ore  is  of  excel- 
lent quality  and  is  easih'  secured.  While  the  branch  road  was  built  to  accom- 
modate the  mining  business  it  is  also  used  to  quite  an  extent  in  tranL-porting 
marble  and  lumber  to  the  main  line. 

In  the  western   portion  of  Colorado,  the  capital  of  the  county,  and  the 
principal  town  in  the  section,  is  Gunnison,  a  place  which  the  tourist  in  this 


line    KOYAI.   (iOKiiK. 


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264      THE   GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OF   OUR    REPUHLIC: 


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region  should  ccrtaiiil)-  visit.     It  is  beautifully  located  in  the  niitlst  of  a  lar.i. 

I)ark  lying  about  8,000  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea.     Abundance  of  pun; 

water  flows  from  the  streams  which  pass  near  by  and  which  just  below  tli. 

town  unite  to  form  the  Gunnison  River. 

The  region  of  which  Gunnison  forms  the  business  centre  was  not  opened 

for  settlement  until  187J. 
Various  parties  had  made 
partial  explorations,  and 
a  few  had  attempted  min- 
ing, but  Indian  outrages 
and  massacres  were  so 
frequent  that  the  section 
was  practically  abandoned 
by  white  men.  About 
that  time  a  party  from 
Denver  commenced  miii 
ing  near  Rock  Creek  and 
were  so  successful  that 
others  soon  came  to 
search  for  gold.  An  aL;ri 
cultural  colony  located  in 
the  region  in  1874.  On 
account  of  the  great  in 
tercst  in  the  Leadville 
mines,  and  the  difficult)- 
of  reaching  the  new  set- 
tlement, the  mining  inter- 
ests in  the  Gunnison  dis- 
trict were  not  developed 
to  any  great  extent  for 
several  years.  But  dui-- 
cu.NMsoN-s  liLiiii.  j„^,   ti^^.  p.jj,t  ticcaile  the.v 

have  attracted   more  attention   and  the  town  has  been  growing  in  size  and 
increasing  in  business  importance. 

From  Gunnison  a  branch  of  the  Denver  and  Rio  Grande  Railroad  runs 
northward  about  twenty  miles  to  Crested  Butte,  a  peculiar  peak  of  gray 
stone  rising  to  a  considerable  height  from  a  base  covered  with  trees  and 


;« !i*  1 


NATURAL   SCENERY   AND   CELEimATEI)   RESORTS.      265 

nliints  and  forming  an  attractive  and  prominent  feature  of  the  landscape  ev«'n 
ii)  tliis  region  of  attractions.  Near  this  point  the  first  permanent  settlement 
in  the  region  was  made.  There  is  now  a  good  hotel  and  (piite  a  smart  little 
\  illage.  The  chief  mines,  in  fact  the  only  ones  at  this  particular  point,  are 
(it  coal.  These  are  of  considerable  extent  and,  as  the  quality  of  the  coal  is 
<  xcellent,  they  are  also  of  great  value. 

One  of  the  peculiar  features  of  the  Rocky  Mountain  region  is  the  marked 


SI'lllNX    KOIK. 


resemblance  in  form  and  appearance  of  rocks  to  objects  of  almost  every 
kind.  This  is  not  characteristic  of  any  one  place  in  particular,  but  is  seen 
in  the  various  cartons,  upon  the  faces  of  cliffs,  in  masses  of  rocks  rising  from 
the  bank  of  a  river  or  piled  on  some  lofty  tableland — in  fact  this  remarkable, 
and  in  frequent  instances  grotesque,  feature  is  quite  prominent  throughout 
the  whole  section. 

At  one  point  the  tourist  beholds  an  outline  clearly  cut  upon  a  mountain 


i  I 


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266       TIIK   (iUr.AT   WONDICRLANDS   OF   OUR    KKI'L'HLIC: 

side  u  liiclj   rcmiiuls  him  of  the  Egyptian  Sphinx,  the   riilcllc  and  tlic  uond-  r 
of  the  ages, 

A  still  more  sharpi)'  defined  outline  is  that  of  a  face,  almost  luiman  in  it  ; 
appearance,  wnich  projects  from  an   immense  cliff  rising  abruptly  from  tin 
side  of  the  track  which  the  face  overhangs.     This  peculiar  formation  has  bn  i, 
named   Mother  Grundy.     While  it   is  far  from  beautiful  it   is  so  odd  that  u 
attracts  the  attention  of  all  tourists  who  have  the  opportunity  of  seeing  it. 
It  was  of  formations  of  this  cla.ss  that  a  recent  writer  saitl,  in  a  somewh.ii 

sarcastic  vein,  that  "  tin.: 
multitude  "  are  attract 
ed  largely  by  curiosity 
and  while  allowiiiLj 
views  of  exquisite  beau 
ty  to  pass  unnoticed  or 
uncared  for  "will  <;(i 
into  ecstasies  in  the 
contemplation  of  a  IjI- 
zarre  rock  with  a 
strange  likeness  to  soim 
familiar  object."  While 
this  seems  altogcilici 
too  sweeping  a  state- 
ment as  applied  to  tlic 
great  majority  of  tour 
ists,  there  are  many  of 
whom  it  gives  a  ver\- 
accurate  description, 
and  it  points  out  one  of 
ihe  strong  tendencies  of  the  mind  which  has  not  had  the  advantages  of  culture 
and  of  refined  surroundings.  It  is  not  strange  that  these  peculiar  outlines  and 
eccentric  forms  attract  attention.  The\'  are  "  vagaries  of  Nature,"  it  is  true, 
and  arc  very  far  below  the  order  of  her  beautiful  manifestations,  but  still 
there  is  something  wonderful  about  them  and  they  have  a  certain  and  u 
legitimate  interest  to  every  observer. 

Among  the  peculiar  formations  of  the  class  just  noticed  Finger  Rock  is 
well  worthy  of  an  illustration.  Tilted  against  a  massive  and  ragged  rock, 
above  which  it  rises  to  a  considerable  height,  it  appears  like  an  enormous 


MOTHER   <".R1NI)V. 


M 


NATURAL   SCKNKKV    AND   CKMIUKATKI)    RMSOKTS.      267 

fi;i-cr  poinlint;  over  tlii.-  railroail  track  ami  the  mountain  peak  just  bcyonil, 
I, .u aril  the  sky.  Ilou  it  came  in  this  form  in  in  this  position  is  a  (juestion 
wiiich  no  one  can  solve.  Here  it  is  and  here  it  has  evidently  been  for  a^jcs. 
iicre,  too,  it  is  likely  to  remain  for  a^jes  to  come. 

The  Glant'.s  Tea  Kettle  is  a  rut,'t,'«-'d  mass  of  rock,  nearly  square  in  form, 
rising  from  the  comparatively  level  surface  of  an  orilinary  butte.  It  received 
it>  name  on  account  of  its  immense  size  and  a  resemblance,  not  very  close 
but  sufficient  to  be  sug^^estive,  to  a  tea  kettle.  The  number  of  these  rude 
imitations  of  ordinary  objects  which  the  observing  tourist  will  notice  in  a 
trip  through  this  region  is 
\  cry  great.  Man)'  of  them 
li,i\  e  received  names  which 
li,i\c  been  accepted  by  the 
public  and  by  which  they 
ail.'  generally  known. 
I /tilers  have,  as  yet,  no 
n, lines,  but  are  merely  the 
sui)jects  of  curiosity  and 
conjecture. 

The  tourist  in  Colorado 
should  not  fail  to  visit  the 
justly  celebrated  resort 
called  Idaho  Springs.  As 
far  as  fitting  it  for  the  pur- 
poses of  a  resort  for  plea- 
sure and  also  for  those  of 
a  sanitarium,  it  i.->  claimed  that  Nature  has  done  more  for  this  locality  than  she 
lias  for  any  other  in  the  whole  region  of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  Man  has 
also  done  his  part  and  the  result  is  a  combination  of  attractions  seldom  found. 

Another  point,  greatly  in  favor  of  this  locality,  is  tluit  it  is  easily  accessi- 
ble. It  is  only  thirty-seven  miles  from  Denver,  a  city  which  is  called  "  the 
social  and  commercial  centre"  of  Colorado  and  the  surrounding  region,  and 
which  certainly  is  a  beautiful  and  famous  resort.  It  is  laid  out  in  an  attractive 
manner  and  has  a  magnificent  location  more  than  5.000  feet  above  the  sea. 
It  is  sn'd  that  from  this  point  there  is  a  clear  view  of  the  Rocky  Mountains 
for  a  (  stance  of  almost  300  miles.  The  climate  is  unsurpassed  and  the  city  is 
•well  abreast  of  the  times  in  the  varied  lines  of  conveniences  and  luxuries. 


FINCER    ROCK. 


rtl'''^'. 


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268      THE   GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OF   OUR   REPUBLIC; 


ii '    i 


^^;|■ 


Yet,  dcsiniblc  as  Denver  is  for  a  phice  of  residence  at  all  seasons  of  Tiie 
year,  the  attractions  of  Idaho  Springs  are  so  great  that  numbers  of  the  in- 
habitants of  the  former  city  spend  more  or  less  of  the  summer  season  at  ilic 
latter  resort.  Here  can  be  obtained  all  needed  comforts.  There  are  g(/.nl 
hotels,  pltasant  cottages,  and  plenty  of  places  where  the  traveller,  whctlu  r 
he  be  poor  or  rich,  can  find  excellent  accommodations.  The  town  lies  m 
Clear  Creek  Caflon  7,543  feet  above  the  sea,  and  is  sheltered  by  the  walls 
which  rise  in  beauty  around  it,  their  sides  covered  with  trees  which  add 
greatly  to  the  scenic*  attractions.  There  are  many  excellent  roads  and  beau- 
tiful walks  which  lead  i.i 
quiet  glens  and  peacctid 
retreats  only  a  little  tlis- 
tance  from  the  Spring-. 
The  surrounding  scenery 
is  magnificent.  The 
mountains  lying  cld^e 
around  are  beautiful,  and 
many  more  distant  peaks 
raise  their  towering  heads 
in  grandeur  toward  the 
heavens. 

The  present  location 
of  Idaho  Springs  was  a 
small  mining  camp  as  re. 
cently  as  i860.     At  about 

GIANT'S  TEA    KETTLE.  *         jj^gt    ^l^^    gglJ    ^^^g     f^u^^, 

in  considerable  quantities,  and  though  the  methods  at  first  employed  in  ob- 
taining it  were  necessarily  superficial,  the  results  were  so  satisfactory  that 
machinery  was  soon  introduced  and  improved  processes  adopted.  Some  of 
the  mines  are  very  near  the  town  and  may  easily  be  reached  on  foot.  Others 
are  to  be  reached  on  horseback.  The  paths  are  good  and  the  ride  in  the 
pure  mountain  air  will  prove  both  invigorating  and  delightful.  Some  of  these 
mines  yield  a  remarkably  rich  ore.  As  high  as  sixty  per  cent  of  gold,  it  is 
said,  has  been  obtained  from  ore  mined  near  the  town.  As  they  are  freely 
open  to  the  inspection  of  visitors,  these  mines  form  popular  places  of  resort 
for  parties  not  familiar  with  life  in  the  mining  regions. 

But  while  Idaho  Springs,  as  a  tov\in,  owes  its  e.xistence  to  the  mines,  they 


NATURAL   SCENERY   AND   CELEBRATED    RESORTS.      2C9 

arc  \  cry  far  from  constituting  its  chief  attraction  at  the  present  time.  The 
\\;itcrs  of  the  numerous  mineral  springs  have  proved  wonderfully  efficacious 
ill  the  treatment  of  various  forms  of  disease.  They  were  discovered  by  pro- 
spectors in  search  for  gold  and  soon  became  popular.  There  are  both  hot 
and  cold  springs,  and  in  the  side  of  one  of  the  mountains,  there  is  a  boiling 
spring,  close  by  which  a  house  has  been  erected  in  which  vapor  baths  are 
given.     There  are  also  a  number  of  bath  houses  near  other  springs.     In  the 


CIllCACd    I  AKK. 

]io(ils  at  these  places  thousands  of  people  bathe  every  year.  Among  them 
are  large  numbers  of  invalids,  many  of  whom  receive  speedy  and  permanent 
relief  from  their  physical  ailments.  The  baths  at  the  hot  springs  are  kept 
ojjen  during  the  winter  and  the  others  are  open  nearly  all  the  year. 

The  waters  of  many  of  the  springs  are  used  for  drinking  as  well  as  bath- 
ing. Analyses  have  shown  their  chemical  elements  to  be  very  nearly  the 
same  as  are  those  of  the  world-famed  Carlsbad  Springs  in  Bohemia,  and  their 
effects  in  the  treatment  of  disease  seem  to  be  equally  prompt  and  permanent. 


"DM! 


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270       THE   GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OF   OUR    REPUBLIC; 


■«?■>  1 


The  purity  of  the  air,  the  freedom  from  dampness  and  from  cold  winds,  and 
the  almost  continual  sunshine  during  the  day  followed  by  delightfully  cool 
nights,  are  also  important  aids  in  the  restoration  of  health  to  invalids,  and  in 
promoting  the  comfort  of  the  well.  It  is  claimed  that  there  is  no  other  town 
in  the  Rocky  Mountain  region  which  is  favored  with  so  many  cloudless  days 
as  are  enjoyed  at  Idaho  Springs. 

A  short  but  very  pleasant  trip  from  Idaho  Springs  may  be  made  to 
the  Chicago  Lakes — a  distance  of  some  twelve  or  fifteen  miles.  The  trip  can 
be  made  on  horseback,  or,  most  of  the  way,  by  carriage.  There  are  four  lakes 
in  the  group.  In  the  vicinity  of  the  lower  ones,  the  famous  painter  Bierstadt 
made  the  sketches  for  his  wonderful  picture  of  a  "  Storm  in  the  Rocky 
Mountains."  The  lower  lake  is  extremely  beautiful.  It  receives  its  water 
from  the  upper  lake  which  is  near  by.  There  is  a  rapid  descent  for  quite  a 
distance,  which  is  followed  by  an  abrupt  fall  of  about  fifty  feet.  This  lake 
covers  an  area  of  about  eighty  acres.  Dead  Man's  Lake,  also  one  of  the 
group,  is  very  pretty  in  spite  of  its  unpleasant  name.  In  each  of  these  lakes 
the  water  is  clear  and  deep.  Trout  are  abundant  and  the  tourist  will  find  at 
either  of  the  three  an  excellent  place  either  for  a  boat  ride  or  for  fishing. 

It  is  around  the  fourth  lake,  however,  that  the  deepest  interest  centres. 
This  lake  is  about  ii,ooo  feet  above  the  sea,  and  has  the  greatest  altitude  of 
any  lake  in  North  America.  It  lies  almost  at  the  top  of  Mount  Rosalie,  a 
pretty  peak,  from  which  a  fine  view  may  be  obtained.  The  surface  of  the 
lake  is  covered,  even  in  summer,  with  ice  five  feet  in  thickness.  Lying  in  its 
frozen  spLndor  the  lake  forms  a  natural  gem  as  beautiful  as  it  is  unique. 

Another  pleasant  trip,  of  about  nine  miles,  from  Idaho  Springs,  may  be 
made  to  Echo  Lake,  a  pretty  sheet  of  water  covering  an  area  of  fifty  acres 
and  lying  about  10,000  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  It  is  in  a  region 
largely  covered  by  a  dense  pine  forest.  Upon  one  side  there  is  a  mountain 
wall  about  1,500  feet  in  heigh l.  On  the  otiier  sides  there  is  a  fine  beach  with 
clear  sand.  For  the  fisherman  this  is  one  of  the  best  resorts  in  the  whole  sec- 
tion. The  lake  has  been  freely  and  repeatedly  stocked  with  trout  during  the 
past  few  years.  They  have  grown  rapidly,  and  fishes  of  large  size  and  the 
finest  quality  are  now  obtained  in  great  numbers,  and  with  little  difficulty. 
On  the  shore  of  the  lake  a  house  has  been  erected,  boats  and  tackle  have 
been  provided,  and  ample  accommodations  for  fishing  parties  may  be  found 
at  all  times. 

On  the  elevated  plains  and  the  mountain  peaks  of  this  section  are  some  of 


NATURAL   SCENERY  AND   CELEBRATED   RESORTS.      271 

the  finest  hunting  grounds  in  the  world.  Game  of  various  kinds,  from  the 
rabbit  to  the  grizzly  bear  and  the  mountain  lion,  may  be  found  in  abundance. 
riio  more  ferocious  animals  inhabit  the  higher  points  in  the  rugged  mountain 
i:inges.  The  elk  and  the  black-tailed  deer  are  found  along  the  streams  and 
at  a  high  altitude.  The  mountain  sheep,  one  of  the  prizes  dearest  to  the 
hunter,  is  also  found  in  elevated  localities.     The  antelope,  which  is  almost  as 


FKF.niNO  (,RnrNn  of  the  antkiope. 


popular  with  the  hunter,  is  found  in  the  ravines  which  are  common  In  the 
high  plains  of  this  mountainous  region. 

Colorado  has  several  elevated  points  which  are  surrounded  by  high  moun- 
tain peaks.  These  beautiful  valleys  are  called  parks  and  are  among  the  most 
attractive  portions  of  the  State.  The  North  Park,  lying  near  the  northern 
boundary  of  the  State,  is  reached  by  stage  from  Fort  Collins,  a  station  on  the 
Colorado  Central  Railroad.    The  principal  points  are  Mason  City,  and  Tyner. 


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272       THE   GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OF   OUR   REPUBLIC; 


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The  former  is  80  miles  and  the  latter  125  miles  from  Fort  Collins.  This 
Park  is  celebrated  for  the  immense  numbers  of  the  antelope  and  elk  \hich 
it  sustains.  It  is  one  of  the  finest  hunting  grounds,  for  this  kind  of  g.-mc, 
which  the  world  affords.     The  park  is  about  seventy-five  miles  long  and  fifty 

miles  wide,  is 
surrounded' 
by    the    ,ug- 
ged  peaks  of 
the    Rocky 
Mountains, 
and  contains 
many  scenes 
of  beauty and 
grandeur. 
The  average 
altitude  is 
about     9,000 
feet.      Many 
beautiful 
springs,  some 
of      them 
strongly   im- 
pregnated 
with  mineral 
substances, 
are  found  within  its  limits.     Even 
if  we  leave  out  of  view  the  splen- 
did opportunities  for  hunting  and 
fishing,  we  have  a  remarkably  at- 
tractive  locality.     For  "  camping 
out "  it  is  one  of  the  finest  places 
which  can  be  found.     Whether  he 
SNOW  RANCE,  FROM  jAMKs  TRAIL.  sceks  Tcst   or   rccreation,  or  both 

combined,  the   tourist  will  here  be  able   to  gratify  his  taste  and  to  spend 
his  time  pleasantly  and  profitably. 

Just  south  of  this  beautiful  locality,  and  separated  from  it  by  a  chain  of 
mountains,  is  Middle  Park.     This  is   nearly  as  large  as  North   Park,  being 


NATURAL   SCENERY  AND   CELEBRATED   RESORTS.      273 

seventy  miles  long  by  fifty  miles  wide,  and  is  also  a  popular  resort  for  sports- 
men. There  are  immense  forests,  between  which  are  broad  tracts  of  open 
hind  covered  with  luxuriant  grass  and  with  wild  flowers  of  many  varieties  and 
of  almost  every  conceivable  color.  There  are  also  some  Hot  Sulphur  Springs 
which  are  reached  by  stage  from  Georgetown,  a  distance  of  forty-five  miles, 
and  which  are  quite  popular  with  tourists.  The  mountain  scenery,  like  that 
of  all  this  region,  is  simply  magnificent. 

Still  farther  south  is  the  South  Park  of  Colorado,  which,  though  smaller, 
is  called  more  beautiful  than  any  of  the  other  parks  in  the  State.  It  is  sixty 
miles  long  by  thirty  miles  wide,  and  is  easily  accessible  from  Denver  by  the 
South  Park  division  of  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad,  which  connects  Denver 
with  Leadville  and  passes  directly  through  the  park.  The  chief  town  is  Fair- 
play,  from  which  point  excursions  are  made  to  Mount  Lincoln,  the  highest 
peak  in  the  Colorado  group  of  mountains.  F«-om  the  summit  of  this  peak  a 
beautiful  and  extensive  view  is  obtained.  The  ascent  can  be  made  without 
difficulty.  Another  popular  excursion  is  to  the  Twin  Lakes,  which  lie  thirty- 
five  miles  from  Fairplay.  In  the  southern  part  of  the  State  is  the  largest 
of  the  four  principal  parks  embraced  within  its  area.  It  is  known  as  the  San 
Luis  Park  and  lies  7,CXXD  feet  above  the  sea  level,  while  the  surrounding  moun- 
tains rise  to  from  4,CXX)  to  7,000  feet  above  the  park  itself.  Its  area  is  about 
twice  as  large  as  that  of  the  State  of  Massachusetts.  The  soil  is  fertile,  the 
pasturage  rich,  and  the  climate  is  so  mild  that  cattle  can  live  through  the 
winter  without  ehelter.  In  some  portions  of  the  park  there  are  immense  for- 
ests. Near  the  centre  of  the  park  is  the  San  Luis  Lake,  which  receives  the 
water  of  nineteen  streams  which  flow  from  the  snow-crowned  mountains  by 
which  the  valley  is  walled.  The  scenery  is  very  fine  and  the  region  is  easily 
reached  by  the  Silverton  branch  of  the  Denver  and  Rio  Grande  Railroad. 
The  distance  from  Denver  is  about  250  miles. 

While  mo^t  of  the  places  to  which  we  have  referred  are  either  settled  or 
aie  points  within  easy  reach  of  cities  or  towns,  there  are  almost  innumerable 
localites  in  the  vast  region  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  which  are  drear  and 
desolate.  Enormous  mountains  seem  thrown  together  in  irregular  masses. 
Their  sides  for  many  hundred  feet  are  covered  with  snow  to  a  great  depth 
and  white  and  glistening  crowns  always  cover  their  heads.  They  are  beauti- 
ful in  their  wildness,  magnificent  in  their  rugged  outlines.  Their  silent 
grandeur  is  impressive  and  fills  tho  thoughtful  mind  with  wonder  and  with 
awe. 


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274      THE   GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OF   OUR    REPUBLIC: 

Along  the  banks  of  the  Green  River,  and  also  near  the  town  of  that  nan,.; 
in  Wyoming  Territory,  many  fine  scenes  appear.  The  clay  buttes  around  tli;. 
town  are  peculiar  both  in  form  and  color.  A  few  miles  away  are  mines  fro;,^ 
which  a  fine  quality  of  coal  is  obtained.  The  town  is  small  but  the  station  <  ; 
the  Union  Pacific  Railroad  is  an  important  one,  as  here  the  trains  which  are  tw 
diverge  from  the  main  line  at  Granger,  a  little  farther  west,  and  run  to  Pon . 
land,  Oregon,  are  made  up. 

Not  far  from  Evanston,  a  smart  little  town  in  Wyoming,  which  is  perched 
on  the  mountain  6,759  ^^^^  above  the  sea  and  has  a  population  numberint; 

about  3,000,  the  road  be- 
gins to  descend  toward 
the  west  and  enters  one 
of  the  most  attractive  re- 
gions on  the  continent. 
The  town  itself  has  niaii\- 
features  of  interest,  in- 
eluding  mineral  springs 
which  flow  from  a  lime 
stone  formation. 

But  the  principal  in- 
terest of  the  region  cen- 
tres in  Echo  Cafion,  at 
the  extreme  eastern  por- 
tion of  Utah  Territory. 
While  somewhat  reseni- 
f.iANT's  ( i.fn.  r.REF.N  RIVER.  bling  thc  othcrs,  it    is   in 

some  respects  the  most  wonderful  of  all  the  magnificent  gorges  in  this  wild 
.section.  A  celebrated  traveller  asserts  that  he  found  nothing  equal  to  it, 
even  in  the  great  Himalaya  Range  of  Asia,  and  declares  that  "  Echo  Caflon 
is  one  of  the  masterpieces  of  Nature."  The  testimony  of  other  travel- 
lers whose  opportunities  for  observation  have  been  extensive  is  uniformly 
to  the  effect  that  this  cafion  is  one  of  the  most  wonderful  works  of  Nature 
which  they  ever  beheld.  The  caflon  extends  about  thirty  miles,  and  though 
there  are  many  changes  of  scene,  there  is  never  a  loss  of  interest  on  the 
part  of  the  observer. 

.Soon  after  entering  the  cafion  the  train  passes  through  a  tunnel  900  feet 
in  length — a  somewhat  difficult  and  a  very  expensive  portion  of  the  road  to 


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NATURAL   SCENERY   AND   CELEBRATED   RESORTS.      275 

.  iirttruct.  Numerous  bridges  will  also  be  noticed  in  this  vicinity.  These 
a;c  made  necessary  by  the  fact  that  the  railroad  crosses  Echo  Creek  thirty- 
uiic  times  in  a  distance  of  only  twenty-six  miles. 

One  of  the  noticeable  features  along  this  route  is  the  presence  of  numer- 
t;us  pillars  of  rock  which  have,  by  the  action  of  the  elements,  been  carved 
into  most  peculiar  forms.  For  how  many  ages  these  massive  pillars  have 
been  wearing  away  under  the  corroding  action  of  sunshine,  wind,  rain,  and 
liost,  no  one  can  tell.  Geologists,  however,  are  of  the  opinion  that  this  por- 
tion of  the  continent  was  one  of  the  first  to  emerge  from  the  water  which  had 
j)rcviously  covered  the 
t^lobe,  and  it  is  highly  prob- 
able that  the  "tooth  of 
time"  has  here  been  work- 
in;j;  much  longer  than  it 
has  in  other  sections  of  the 
country. 

One  of  the  first  of  the 
<])ccial  features  of  the 
canon  which  will  attract  the 
attention  of  the  tourist  will 
1)0  Castle  Rock,  a  large  and 
j)LCuliar  mass  of  rock  which 
has  a  strongly  marked  re- 
stinblance  to  a  castle. 
This  is  one  of  the  most  per 
feet  of  these  peculiar    for-  ''■"^^''•■'<  R^'^"^'  ^^""  '^^aSon. 

Illations,  and  but  for  its  immense  size  might  well  pass  for  a  construction  of 
man  instead  of  a  phenomenon  of  nature.  In  this  region  are  numerous  fossil 
remains  which  are  of  great  interest  to  scientists.  Skeletons  of  several  species 
of  animals  long  since  extinct  have  been  unearthed.  Among  them  are  part 
of  the  bones  of  a  six-horned  rhinoceros,  an  animal  of  enormous  size,  which 
nuist  have  disappeared  from  tliis  region  thousands  of  years  ago.  The  cliffs 
at  the  opening  of  the  cafton  are  of  a  grayish  tinge,  but  as  we  proceed  they 
become  nearly  red.  Upc^i  the  lower  ones,  which  are  nearest  the  open  land, 
trees  of  various  kinds  appear.  But  farther  along  the  caflon  the  cliffs  are 
liighcr,  more  rugged  in  outline,  and  more  barren  in  appearance. 

Upon  these  cliffs  the  Mormons  erected  a  number  of  fortifications  in  1857, 


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276      THE   GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OF   OUR   R'EPUBLIC: 

wlicn  they  were  in  conllict  with  tho  GovcrnmcMit  of  the  United  States,  ap  1 
the  remains  uf  their  rude  constructions  may  still  be  seen.  Another  remiiKUr 
of  the  Mormon  settlement  of  the  region  is  seen  at  Pulpit  Rock,  a  massive  pile 
of  stone  which  has  been  often  described.  Its  name  is  said  to  be  due  to  the 
fact  that  in  form  it  somewhat  resembles  a  pulpit,  and  to  the  tradition  tliit 
from  its  heights  Brigham  Young  preached  the  first  sermon  which  he  delivi.  iliI 
in  Utah.  The  caflon  was  the  line  of  the  old  wagon  road  through  this  sectiiui. 
Freight  was  carried  in  wagons  drawn  by  large  teams  of  oxen,  while  passengers 
and  baggage  were  taken  by  horses  or  mules.     While  it  was  by  far  the  best 

route  in  the  section,  prorj- 
ress  was  necessarily  slow 
and  toilsome,  liut  now  ,iil 
is  changed.  The  trip  is 
made  in  luxurious  cars 
which  are  drawn  rapidly, 
even  over  the  sharpest 
grades,  by  the  tireless  locc>- 
motive. 

Leaving  Echo  Cafion  we 
pass  into  a  more  open  re- 
gion which  extends  for  sev- 
eral miles.  This  is  the 
Weber  Valley,  fresh  and 
fair,  with  a  peaceful  river 
flowing  through  it,  and 
with  numerous  trees  dot- 
ting its  surface.  The  massive  peaks  which,  at  no  great  distance,  rise  from 
the  plain  show  the  traveller  that  the  elevated  region  is  not  yet  passed,  but 
that  this  level  spot  is  only  a  little  intervale  in  the  midst  of  the  mountains. 
Beautiful  in  itself,  it  becomes  doubly  attractive  by  reason  of  its  peculiar  loca- 
tion. The  valley  is  soon  left  behind  and  Weber  Cafion,  a  close  rival  of  Echo 
Carton,  is  entered. 

The  entrance  to  the  cafion  from  the  east  is  termed  Wilhelmina  Pass.  It 
forms  a  natural  gateway  between  the  hills  or  bluffs  and  furnishes  just  room 
enough  for  the  wagon-road,  the  railroad,  and  the  stream,  to  pass  through. 
At  a  short  distance  to  the  west  we  come  to  The  Devil's  Slide,  said  to  be  the 
"  most  singular  object  of  all  the  sportive  creations  of  Nature  in  the  West." 


CASTLK    ROCK. 


NATURAL   SCKNKRV  AND   CELEBRATED   RESORTS.      277 

\\  hilc  it  can  neither  be  termed  grand  nor  beautiful,  it  is  certainly  unique  and 
niL'sents  a  wonderfully  fantastic  appearance.  The  mountain  upon  which  it 
appears  is  about  800  feet  in  height,  and  is  composed,  principally,  of  sand- 
stone, which  is  of  a  dark-red  color.  Its  side  is  covered  with  sage  brush  in- 
terspersed with  hunches  of  scrub  oak,  and  a  few  tall  pine  trees.  From  tl.e 
side  of  this  rer!  nountain,  two  walls,  so  gray  as  to  be  almost  white,  run  from 
the  bank  of  the  river  to  the  top  of  the  peak.  These  walls  are  from  twenty  to 
fdity  feet  high,  are  parallel  with  each  other,  and  lie  some  twent}'  feet  apart. 
lliis  curious  freak  of  the  natural  world  is  clearly  reflected  in  the  waters  of 
tlic  stream  and  attracts  more 
iittention  than  almost  any 
(it her  feature  of  the  whole 
icLcion. 

Only  about  a  mile  from 
the  curiosity  just  noted  is  a 
luge  tree  which  stands  by 
itself  quite  near  the  track. 
Although  there  is  nothing 
peculiar  about  the  appear- 
ance of  the  tree  it  receives 
a  great  deal  of  notice  from 
the  fact  that  it  stands  just 
1,000  miles  from  Omaha.  A 
painted  sign  has  been  placed 
upon  one  of  the  limbs  so 
that  the  tree  may  be  readily 
identified. 

The  train  passes  through  two  tunnels  of  considerable  extent,  and  crosses 
tlie  stream  several  times  within  the  limits  of  this  cafion.  The  wagon  road  is 
also  crossed  at  many  points  as  it  winds  around  among  the  cliffs  in  search  of 
the  easiest  grade.  Both  roads  were  constructed  under  circumstances  of 
great  difficulty  and  the  railroad  was  built  at  an  enormous  expense. 

The  number  of  interesting  objects  to  be  seen  in  passing  through  the  cafion 
is  quite  large,  and  the  tourist  who  has  once  made  the  survey  will  be  ready  to 
pronounce  it  a  region  of  wonders.  When  we  come  to  the  western  end  the 
beautiful  Salt  Lake  Valley  opens  into  view.  Ogden,  with  its  bustle  and 
energy,  its  railroad   and   mining  interests,  and   its  surrounding  agricultural 


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THE   GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OF   OUR    RErUHLIC.       279 

region,  is  close  at  haiui,  and  will  attract  attention.  l*'arthcr  on  lies  the 
fiinoiis  lake,  and  in  the  still  more  distant  west  several  ran|,a's  of  mountains 
,  ar  their  vast  yet  beautiful  forms.  Alon^  the  streams  we  have  traversed, 
iiiul  in  those  which  are  too  far  distant  from  the  railroad  for  the  traveller  on  a 
tiirouj^h  train  to  observe,  are  many  beautiful  cascades,  and  numberless  duiet 
j^lcns.  All  through  the  various  caflons, 
ill  all  the  open  laml,  upon  the  elevated 
plains,  in  the  valleys  lyin^  thousands 
el"  feet  below  the  surrounding^  mount- 
ains, and  upon  the  massive  peaks  which 
almost  pierce  the  sky,  scenes  of  beauty 
abound.  Their  forms  are  diverse. 
Their  variety  is  almost  infinite.  Hut  in 
some  of  its  manifestations  beauty  ap- 
pc.irs  on  every  hand. 

In  the  re<;ion  of  the  Rockies,  and 
luNond  their  massive  forms,  are  found 
snnieof  the  greatest  scenic  attractions, 
licit  merely  of  this  country,  but  of  the 
world.  Beauty,  grandeur,  sublimity, 
magnificence — all  abound.  The  travel- 
ler is  both  delighteil  and  amazed. 
Thoujih  the  scene  is  constantly  being 
siiifted  and  chan<re(l  as  the  train  rolls    ^^j- 


along,  it  never  grows  tame  or  uninter 


istmg.      1  lie  re;, ion  iswoiulerfu!  m  the 

iiuinber,  as  well  as  in  the  character  of  its  charms.  Peo- 
ple who  have  travelled  extensively  in  other  lands,  and  who 
have  observed  closely,  assert  that  they  have  seen  nothing 
abroad  which,  all  things  considered,  can  equal  this  section 
of  the  United  States.  Foreigners  seem  fully  as  enthusiastic 
as  our  own  pe<iple  in  describing  the  natural  scenery  of  this  remarkable  region. 
It  is  a  matter  for  deep  regret,  as  well  as  for  great  surprise,  that  large 
numbers  of  the  people  of  this  country  go  abroad  every  year  to  behold  the 
famous  scenery  of  Europe  who  have  never  enjoyed  a  visit  to  the  magnificent 
regions  in  the  western  portion  of  their  native  land,  many  features  of  which 
are  well  illustrated  in  the  following  gallery  of  full-page  engravings. 


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THE   GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OF   OUR    RETUIUJC. 


-97 


riic  foregoing  sketches  and  accompanying  illustrations  of  the  striking 
V  lulcrs  and  magnificent  natural  scenery  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  should 
i ..  ])irc  every  reader,  particularly  every  American,  with  an  ardent  desire  to 
];!,ike  a  tour  through  this  far-famed  and  really  marvellous  region. 


ITAH  AND  THE  GREAT  SALT  LAKE 


Tile  plateaus  vary  greatly  in  the  (piality  of  their  soil,  some  of  them  bei 


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are  very  productive.     Rivers  abound,  and  sev- 


er,'] cartons  from  2,000  to  5,000  feet  in  depth  are  found.  To  a  great  ex- 
tent it  is  a  wild  country.  Game  aboumls  and  less  desirable  animals,  as  the 
hear,  jjanther,  wolf,  and  California  lion,  are  numerous  in  some  portions  of 
the  Territory      There  are  ver)'  sharp  contrasts  in  scenery,  in  climate,  in  so- 


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300      THE   GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OF   OUR    REl'UHLIC. 

ciety — in  fact,  in  everything;  pertainin^j  either  ti)  the  natural  conditions  or  b. 
tlie  ciiaructcr  of  the   civilization  of  the  region. 

Tile  tourist  who  enters  Utah  will  certainly  want  to  visit  a  few  of  tin 
natural  curiosities  of  the  section  and  also  the  seat  of  the  IMorinon  power  at 
Salt  Lake  City.  Many  of  the  former  will  be  seen  on  his  trip  to  this  remark 
able  city,  and  numerous  others  will  come  into  view  as  he  continues  his  jour- 
nc)-.  The  time  will  prove  too  limited  to  enable  him  to  see  all  the  womleis 
and  curiosities  which  the  region  presents,  but  he  should  not  fail  to  visit  tin. 

Great  Salt  Lake  and  tlu' 
famous  Salt  Lake  Civ.\-. 
The  latter  is  reached 
by  the  De-ver  and  Rio 
Grande  Railroad,  by  the 
Utah  Central,  brancliiii!:; 
from  the  Union  Pacific 
at  Ogden,  thirty-six 
miles  distant,  ,uul  h)- 
various  other  lines. 

The  city  need  not  be 
described  at  length  in 
this  connection.  IVr. 
haps  it  is  hardly  net  cs- 
sary,  but  it  may  be  v dl 
to  remind  the  tourist 
that  he  should  take  a 
look  at  the  house  long 

N'.AK    men    IIRIDCK,    AMKKICAN    FORK    fASuN.    ITAII.  OCCUUied        b\'       l^ritrh.llll 

Young,  a  man  whose  zeal  and  skill  in  the  management  of  a  great  social  and 
religious  organization  wrought  wonderful  results.  It  is  a  neat  and  not  at 
all  a  ])retentious  structure,  pleasantly  located  and  with  very  pretty  surround- 
ings. The  Tabernacle  and  the  Temple  will,  of  course,  be  visited.  In  look- 
ing over  that  portion  of  the  community  which  holds  the  doctrines  promul- 
gated by  Young  and  his  predecessors  the  visitor  will  find  on  every  hand  evi- 
dences of  energy,  industry,  thrift,  and  general  prosperity.  The  devotion  of 
the  people  to  the  church  and  to  the  distinctive  principles  of  their  belief  is 
remarkably  strong  and  is  well  worthy  of  imitation,  while  the  progress  and 
development  of  the  theory  and  the  practical  results  of  their  system  furnish  a 


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302      Tin:   (iKKAT  Nv'ONDKRLANDS   OF  OUR    RKrUlUJC: 

wide  ami  fruitful  ficlil  of  iiuiuiry  for  the  student  of  sociology,  as  well  as  an 
interesting;  subject  of  thought  for  every  intelligent  person. 

The  (Ireat  Salt  Lake,  on  the  main  line  of  the  Denver  and  Rio  GramU 
Railroad,  is  one  of  the  niai  ."ellous  natural  features  in  this  region  of  wonders 
and  surprises.  Lying  in  the  great  Fremont  Hasin  at  the  foot  of  the  Wasatch 
Mour.tains  and  eleven  miles  from  Salt  Lake  City,  it  is  easily  reached  and  thi 
trip,  in  open  cars,  is  very  pleasant. 

In  markeil  contrast  with  most  of  the  lakes  thus  far  described,  the  shores 
are  destitute  of  trees.  As  the  soil  contains  a  large  proportion  of  salt,  and  .is 
fresh  water  cannot  be  obtained,  it  seems  to  be  impossible  to  .secure  their 
growth.  Hut  while  the  shores  are  not  ;is  inviting  as  those  of  many  other 
lakes,  the  fact  is  almost  forgotten  when  one  looks  upon  the  beautiful  and 
brilliant  surface  and  then  gazes  upon  the  mighty  mountain  jjcaks  which,  ;it 
no  great  distance,  stand  as  silent  and  tireless  sentinels  on  every  hand. 

As  the  name  indicates,  the  water  of  this  lake  is  strongly  impregnateil  w  ith 
.salt.  It  also  contains,  in  small  proportions,  the  sulphates  of  soda  and  potash, 
chloride  of  magnesium,  and  sul[)hate  of  lime.  Consetpiently,  it  is  very  dense 
and  extrciiicl)-  bitter.  Swimming  is  somewhat  difficult  on  account  of  the 
density  of  tlie  water,  but  it  is  perfectly  easy  to  float  upon  it  for  an  indefinite 
time.  On  account  of  the  mineral  matters  which  it  contains,  great  care  must  be 
taken  not  to  swallow  the  water.  Neglect  of  this  precaution  will  make  the 
throat  and  lungs  ver\'  sore,  and  if  any  considerable  cpiantity  of  the  fluid  is 
swallowed  the  consequences  are  likely  to  be  serious,  and  may  possibly  prove 
fatal. 

The  density  of  the  water  is  about  the  same  as  that  of  the  Dead  .Sea. 
While  no  .inimal  life  is  found  in  the  latter,  it  is,  in  certain  forms,  cjuitc  abun- 
dant in  the  Great  Salt  Lake.  An  effort  has  recenth'  been  made  by  the 
United  States  I'Msh  Commissioners  to  introduce  food-fishes,  but  it  is  uncertain 
as  yet  whether  it  will  be  successful.  As  the  water  contains  more  than  twenty 
percent  of  common  salt,  this  lake  is  likely  to  become  one  of  the  chief  sources 
of  supply  of  this  important  article  to  the  whole  western  region.  Already,  by 
the  primitive  method  of  merely  inclosing  the  water  in  small  arms  of  the  lake 
and  allowing  the  process  of  evaporation  to  remove  the  liquid  portion,  thou- 
sands of  tons  of  a  very  fair  quality  of  salt  are  obtained  every  year.  With 
improved  methods  vast  quantities  might  be  easily  and  profitably  secured. 

The  area  of  the  lake  is  about  2,cxx3  square  miles.  It  is  seventy  miles  in 
length  and  more  than  forty  miles  in  breadth,  and  lies  more  than  4,000  feet 


v-U  1 


NATURAL  SCKNKRY   AND   CKLKHRATKl)    RKSORTS.      303 

jiliovc  the  sea  level.  The  depth  of  the  water  varies  from  ten  feet  in  some 
jinrtions  to  fifty  or  sixty  feet  in  others,  and  is  thought  to  be  steadily  increas. 
in;^'.  It  has  a  hirge  number  of  rocky  islands.  A  few  of  then>  are  of  consider- 
ai)le  size  and  are  used  for  sheep  anil  cattle  pastures.  At  the  upper  part  of 
tiic  lake,  {julls  and  pelicans  breed  in  larjje  numbers.  A  line  of  steamers  runs 
to  and  from  various  points  on  the  shores  and  is  liberally  patronized  by 
tourists. 

If  not  closely  pressed  for  time,  the  tourist  will  hardly  fail  to  visit  the  mag- 
nificent caflons  for  which  this  Territor}*  is  famed.  And  even  if  his  visit  must 
he  hurried  and  his  stay  limited,  it  will  pay  him  well  to  make  a  brief  stop  at 
one  or  two  of  the  leading  K'>rg<-'^-  Here  he  will  see  nature  in  beauty,  glory, 
ami  majesty  combineil.  And  whether  his  call  is  brief  or  is  extended  to  many 
(l;i>s.  he  will  enjoy  himself  greatly  while  there,  and  will  leave  the  vicinity 
with  sincere  regret. 


YELLOWSTONE  NATIONAL  PARK. 

OMI".  portions  of  the  wonderful  region  of  the  Yellowstone  were  vis- 
ited b)'  a  few  travellers  previous  to  1.S63,  but  the  reports  which 
=^^,1  they  made  were  so  wonderful  that  they  were  generally  disbelieved. 
During  the  next  few  )'ears  other  visitors  returned  with  equally  marvellous 
taks.  Hut  It  was  not  until  iSjothat  any  organized  expedition  was  attempted 
and  not  until  the  following  year  that  a  scientific  exploration  of  the  region 
w.'is  made.  Up<in  the  return  of  the  latter  expedition  Prof.  F.  V.  Ilayden, 
wliM  had  ilirected  its  work,  made  an  interesting  report  of  the  discoveries 
which  had  been  made.  In  this  report  the  facts  were  set  forth  that  the  region 
explored  contained  little  mineral  wealth,  that  on  account  of  the  low  tempera- 
ture in  summer  and  the  extreme  cold  of  winter,  the  land  would  be  useless  for 
.•igricultural  purposes  and  stock  raising,  and  that  because  of  its  high  altitude 
it  was  unfit  for  permanent  settlement.  It  was  further  stated  that  because  of 
the  numerous  and  magnificent  natural  wonders  which  it  contained  the  region 
should  be  withdrawn  from  private  use  and  occupancy  and  reserved  as  a 
national  park  for  the  people  at  large.  In  February,  1872,  the  United  States 
("ongress  passed  an  act  by  which  the  region  which  had  been  specified  in  the 
report  was  set  apart  "  as  a  public  park  or  pleasuring-ground  for  the  benefit 


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304      TlIK   (IRKAT  WONDERLANDS   OF   OUR    RIU'UHLIC. 

and  enjoyment  of  the  people."     This  reservation   is  known   as  the  \'ell(iu 
Htune  National  Park. 

The  Park  is  very  nearly  in  the  form  of  a  rectanj^le.  It  measures  r-i.S 
miles  in  length,  from  north  to  south,  ami  53.6  miles  in  width.  Its  area  i-. 
3.313  square  miles  and  its  average  elevation  above  the  sea  is  more  than  owe 
and  a  h.ilf  milis.     Most  of  this  reservation  is  located  in  Wyoming;,  hut  th. 

northern  portion,  for 
a  wiilth  of  .about  two 
miles,  lies  in  Montaii.i. 
The  extreme  westiin 
portion,  for  a  width 
of  about  five  niiUs, 
lies  in  Montana  and 
Idaho.  A  number  u| 
mounti'.in  peaks  rise 
to  ;,  heitjht  of  i  i.cxki 
feet  above  the  sea, 
and  the  .iveraj^e  ele- 
vation of  the  various 
ranges  is  from  y.ooo 
to  10,000  feet.  Many 
streams  of  moderate 
size  flow  upon  the  ele- 
vated plateau,  some 
•S,ooo  feet  above  the 
sea,  but  the  large  rivers 
flow  in  deep  gorges 
rent  through  the 
mountain  chains  by 
some  terrific  convulsion  of  Nature,  or  worn  by  the  ceaseless  flow  of  the 
water  during  countless  ages  of  time. 

The  completion  of  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  in  1883  made  a  more 
direct  railroad  route  to  the  National  Park  than  had  before  existed,  and  it  has 
been  well  patronized,  though  the  Union  Pacific  road  seems  to  have  lost 
none  of  its  custom  or  its  popularity.  The  former  road  passes  through  Living- 
ston, Montana.  From  this  point  a  branch  line,  ••  the  standard  gauge,  has 
been  built  to  Cinnabar,  in  the  same  State,  a  distance  of  fifty-one  miles.     This 


Ili)l    sI'RIM; 


KDIJK   111-    VKl.l.ciWSIiiNK    PARK. 


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306       THE   GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OF   OUR    REPUBLIC: 

is  only  about  six  miles  from  the  Yellowstone  National  Park  Hotel  located  at 
the  Mammoth  Hot  Springs.  Between  these  places  travellers  are  conveyed  by 
coaches.     On  arriving  at  the  hotel  they  find  themselves  in  a  wonderful  portion 


nihccnt  rcj^ions  on 
tlic  ;jjl()bc.  Indeed, 
with  tile  exception 
the  "Southern 
W'cnderiand "  in 
X  t  w  Zeal u  n  d , 
tiicrc  is  probably 
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in  the  workl  which 
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MAMMOTH    HUT   Sl'KI.NOS,    YKI.I.tlWSTdNK    PARK. 

jjared  with  th-^  famous  Park,  which  has  been  aptly  termed  the  "  Northern 
Wonderland." 

Tile  Mammoth  Hot  Springs  are  located  at  the  northern  edge,  and  in  the 
V  estern  portion  of  the  Park.     In  poiuL  of  grandeur  they  are  said  to  be  un- 


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NATURAL   SCENERY   AND  CELEBRATED   RESORTS.      307 

c(|Liallcd  in  the  world.  The  famous  springs  in  New  Zealand,  and  the  still 
iihic  widely-known  geysers  of  Iceland,  are  far  inferior  in  various  respects,  as 
Will  as  very  different  in  the  character  of  the  material  which  they  deposit. 
iMmy  of  the  springs  are  now  inactive,  son  are  exhibiting  a  marked  decline 
ill  power,  while  a  large  number  show  no  signs  of  failure.  There  are  abun- 
dant evidences  of  great  volcanic  activity  at  a  geological  period  not  very  far 
removed.     The  deposits  from  these  springs  are  of  a  calcareous  nature  and 


I'l-I.l'IT  TERRACK,    MAMMOTH    HOT   SPRINGS. 


cover  an  area  of  from  two  to 
three  square  miles.  The  lower 
ones  of  the  active  springs  are 
near  the  bank  of  Gardiner's 
River,  5,845  feet  above  the  sea, 
while  the  others  lie  along  the 
mountain  side  to  nearly  i.ooo 
feet  greater  elevation.  Thus 
the  whole  side  of  the  mountain  is  covered  with  semicircular  basins,  with 
their  edges  raised  from  a  few  inches  to  eight  feet  in  height,  on  which  in 
bead-work  form  is  a  wealth  of  most  beautiful  tracery.  The  background  is 
white  as  snow,  and  the  adornments  are  traced  in  almost  numberless  colors 
and  shades.  These  basins  are  from  a  few  inches  to  several  feet  in  diameter. 
The  water  flowing  from  a  spring  at  the  top  down  the  side  of  the  mountain 
passes  from  one  basin  to  another,  gradually  parting  with  its  heat  and  de- 
positing the  calcareous  matter  which  it  contains.  Near  the  top  of  the  ridge 
the  largest  of  the  active  springs  in  this  locality  is  found.     It  is  near  the  edge 


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308       THE   (iREAT  WONDERLANDS  OF   OUR    REPUBLIC. 


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of  a  broad  terrace  upon  which  arc  the  ruins  of  a  large  number  of  bains, 
Th.e  spring  measures  twenty-five  by  forty  feet  across  the  top.  Its  water  i.  so 
transparent  that  the  bottom  of  the  basin  can  be  clearly  seen  and  the  sims 
show  the  most  beautiful  ornamentation  with  calcareous  deposits  in  an  ahiiost 
infinite  variety  of  forms  and  numerous  and  diverse  tints  and  colors.  The 
ebullition  of  the  springs  in  this  neighborhood  is  continuous,  but  conipartd 
with  that  of  many  of  those  in  other  parts  of  the  Park  is  slight  in  degree,  'liic 
water  here  rises  only  a  few  inches  above  the  surface.  But  the  basins  make 
up  in  beauty  al!  that  the  springs  lack  in  power.  The  dead  springs,  wliich  arc 
quite  numerous,  are  also  of  great  interest.     One,  called  the  "  Liberty  Cap," 


CKATKR  OK   EXTINCT    C.KYSKK. 


from  the  form  of  its  cone,  is  forty-two  feet  high  and  at  its  base  is  about  thirty 
feet  in  diameter.  Within  the  limits  of  the  Park  there  are  from  5,000  V> 
10.000  hot  springs.  In  the  region  noted,  the  temperature  of  the  springs  is 
froi.i  160°  to  170°.     At  this  elevation  water  boils  at  198^  to  199°. 

The  Geysers,  or  Spouting  Springs,  are  even  more  wonderful  than  the  hot 
springs  which  have  been  described.  A  large  proportion  of  them  are  found  in 
the  vicinity  of  the  Fire-Hole  River,  where  they  are  divided  into  two  groujjs 
and  cover  an  area  of  some  thirty  square  miles.  The  deposit  from  the  waters 
of  these  springs  is  white,  but  differs  from  that  of  the  other  spiings  in  that  it 
is  composed  of  silica  instead  of  calcareous  matter.  In  the  lower  group  is  a 
spring  from  which  the  water  rises  to  a  height  of  sixty  feet  and  many  other 


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springs  of  less  power.  The  boiling  springs  in  this  vicinity  number  nci  ly 
700.  Hctwccn  this  and  the  upper  group  are  the  Half-way  Springs,  om.  of 
which  has  a  diameter  of  250  feet  with  walls  nearly  twenty  feet  Iiigh.  1  lie 
water  from  this  immense  caldron  constantly  overflows,  and  the  air  is  fili.d 
with  steam  which  rises  from  its  surface.  Near  by  is  the  Excelsior  Ge\>i  1. 
which  is  intermittent,  but  at  the  time  of  its  outbreaks  is  very  powerful. 

The  upper  group,  located  in  what  is  known  as  the  Great  Geyser  Rasin. 
ranks  as  the  most  powerful  and  magnificent  collection  of  spouting  springs  m 
the  world.  It  occupies  a  strip  of  land  on  the  river  banks,  varying  in  width 
from  half  a  mile  to  a  mile,  and  extending  several  miles  in  length.  The  total 
area  occupied  by  the  group  is  about  three  square  miles.  It  contains  more 
than  400  boiling  springs  and  numerous  springs  of  lower  temperature  and  less 
activity.     Of  these  springs  twenty-six  are  large  and  powerful  geysers. 

The  Giant  Gej-ser  has  a  crater  about  ten  feet  in  height,  but  one  side  has 
been  broken  down.  The  water  is  thrown  from  an  orifice  about  five  feet  in 
diameter  to  a  height  of  from  150  to  2CO  fret.  Its  eruptions  occur  at  distant 
and  irregular  intervals  and  but  few  have  been  noted.  The  Castle  Gejser  is 
also  very  powerful,  sometimes  throwing  a  column  of  water  more  than  200 
feet  high  ami  continuing  in  action  more  than  a  quarter  of  an  hour.  Near 
b\-  is  the  famous  hot  spring  called  Circe's  Boudoir.  The  basin  is  as  white  as 
marble,  while  the  water  is  of  an  intensely  blue  color,  and  perfectly  trans 
parent.  The  Giantess  is  a  strong  gejser  with  irregular  but  remarkably  pow- 
erful action.  The  basin  is  twenty-three  by  thirty-two  feet  and  an  immense 
volume  of  water  is  thrown  from  0,o  to  200  feet  in  the  air.  The  Grand  Geyser 
differs  from  most  of  the  others  in  having  a  depressed  instead  of  an  elevated 
basin.  The  orifice  is  four  feet  by  two  feet.  An  eruption  occurs  every 
twenty-four  hours  and  the  column  of  water  is  sometimes  thrown  to  a  height 
of  250  feet.  The  ge\'ser  which  attracts  the  most  attention  is  probably  Old 
Faithful,  which  stands  at  the  head  of  the  valley  and  received  its  name  from 
'  the  regularity  of  its  eruptions,  which  occur  about  once  an  hour.  A  column 
i)f  water  about  six  feet  in  diameter  is  thrown  from  100  to  150  feet  in  the  air. 
The  period  of  acti\it\'  is  about  five  minutes.  There  are  also  many  other 
interesting  ami  important  geysers  in  this  vicinity,  and  several  large  groups 
in  other  portions  of  the  Park,  including  a  very  beautiful  collection  near 
Shoshone  Lake.  Closely  allied  to  them  is  the  celebrated  Mud  Volcano,  the 
most  powerful  of  a  large  number  of  mud  springs  which  appear  near  the 
Yellowstone  River.     The  crater  of  this  peculiar  volcano  is  about  twenty-five 


i\ 


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VIEWS  OF  "old  faithful"  gkyskk. 


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31: 


THE    GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OF   OUR   REPUBLIC; 


fcL't  across.  From  the  boiHn<T  mud,  lyin^  some  thirty  feet  below  the  sui'facr, 
dense  clouds  of  steam  constantly  ascent!.  Occasionally  there  is  a  violcni. 
outburst  and  large  quantities  of  mud  are  thrown  high  in  the  air. 

The  largest  river  in  the  domain,  and  one  of  the  most  remarkable  in  tlie 

country,  is  the  Yellowstone.  It  rises  in  a  lakr 
of  the  same  name  which  lies  in  the  south-east 
era  portion  of  the  Park.  The  stream  called  tlu 
Upper  Yellowstone,  which  sui)plies  the  lake,  flows 
only  a  short  distance,  but  the  main  river  ha.-;  a 
course  of  1,300  mi'es,  when  it  empties  into  the 
Missouri.  The  Yellowstone  is  navigable  for  about 
500  miles.  Along  its  entire  course  are  beautiful 
scenes,  and  for  long  distances  the  views  are  mag 


YELLOWSTONE   RIVER,  NATIONAL   PARK. 


■  'if 


nificent    beyond    description.      The  falls  and  the  Grand  Cafion  easily  rank 
among  the  sublimest  scenes  of  the  world. 

The  famous  "falls  of  the  Yellowstone  are  some  fifteen  miles  below  the  lake. 
The  river  is  about   150  feet  wide  at  this  point  and  flows  quietly  through  a 


I'y'' 


:l.,'l''' 


NATLRAL   SCENERY   AND   CELEBRATED   RESORTS.      313 

beautiful  valley  until  it  almost  reaches  the  brink  of  a  precipice,  down  which  it 
drops  112  feet.  This  cataract  is  known  as  the  Upper  Falls,  and  is  remarka- 
bly beautiful.  But  the  Lower  Falls,  a  quarter  of  a  mile  beyond,  are  far 
more  majestic.  Between  these  falls  the  river  becomes  much  wider  and  flow« 
rapidly  over  a  rocky  bed  until  r>ar  the  Lower  Falls,  when  the  channel  is  con- 
tracted and  the  water  makes  a  terrific  plunge  of  more  than  300  feet.  Al- 
tbougl;  the  body  of  water  is  much  smaller  and  there  is  far  less  of  the  grand 
and  overpowering  in  the  scene,  these  falls  are  said,  in  point  of  beauty,  to 


FERRY   ON   THE    YELLOWSTONE   RIVER. 


greatly  surpass  those  of  Niagara.  The  foot  of  the  falls  is  always  covered 
with  a  heavy  mist  and  the  massive  wall  at  the  west  is  clothed  with  green  and 
lu.xuriant  vegetation  for  its  entire  height. 

The  Yellowstone  Lake  is  a  beautiful,  and  in  point  of  outline,  a  very  pecu- 
liar sheet  of  water.  It  is  aboui  twenty-two  miles  in  length  by  twelve  or 
fifteen  miles  in  width  and  lies  7,738  feet  above  the  sea  level.  With  the  ex- 
ception of  two  in  South  America,  and  two  in  Asia,  no  other  lake  of  equal  size 
is  known  to  lie  at  so  great  an  altitude.  At  a  short  distance  from  the  lake,  on 
the  eastern  side,  are  mountains  whose  tops  are  covered  with  perpetual  snow. 


i'i  I  M 


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314      THE   GREAT   WONDERLANDS   OK   OUR    REPUBLIC: 

The  water  of  the  hil  e  is  clear  aiul  cold,  and  in  some  places  is  300  feci  in 
depth.     On  account  of  its  preat  irregularity,  having  many  projections  and 

indentations,     this 
lake  has  a  shore  liin' 
<*f    more    than    300 
miles.       There     air 
many  springs  in  the 
vicinity,  and  in  son  c 
portions  dense    for 
ests  of  pii.e  appear. 
The  Grand  Caflon 
furnishes    some    of 
the  sublimest  sci.':i 
eryof  the  continent. 
Though    not    tqual 
in     dimensions     to 
that  of  Colorado,  it 
is  not  surpassed  in 
grandeur     by    that 
magnific'-at     gorge, 
and  in  some  respects 
is  not   equalled    by 
its     greatest     rival. 
It   is  about  thirty  miles  long,  and  dur- 
ing its  course  the   river  descends  some 
3,000  feet.     The  massive  rocks  through 
which  this  tremendous  clefi  has   been 
made  are  of  volcanic  origin.    The  mate- 
rials of  which  they  are  composed  have 
been  thown  out  at  various  periods  and 
are  of  very  different  degrees  of  hard- 
ness.    Consequently,  the  wearing  away 
of  the  surfaces  by  water,  and  the  dis- 

integration  of  exposed  portions  by  the 
KA1.1.S  OK  iHK  VKI...ONVSI..M.  .^^^j^,^   ^^f  f^^^^  .^,^j  ^^j^^,^  sunshinc  and 

storm,  has  been  very  irregular,  and  has  left  innumerable  points  and  pinna- 
cles, and  many  fantastic  forms  and  outlines      Yet  in  some  portions  vast  pil- 


NATURAL   SCENERY   AND   CELEHRATEU    RESORTS.      315 

liirs  which  remain  arc  so  rcjjular  in  their  form  and  so  perfect  in  their  {)ro- 
portioiis,  that  were  it  not  for  their  gi^;antic  dimensions  and  brilliant  hues, 
they  would  seem  nii.re  like  the  work  of  some  skilful  human  arcliitect.  than 
like  the  carvinj^s  of  Nature. 

]iut  aside  from  their  size  these  pillars  far  surpass  the  highest  work  of  man. 
No  human  art  could  have  given  them  their  gorgeous  coloring.  Indeed,  the 
whole  chasm  glows  with  an  indescribable  wealth  of  the  richest  colors  blended 
w  ith  the  softest  shades.  An  able  writer  has  said,  "  It  is  as  though  rainbows 
had  fallen  out  of  the  sky  and  hung  themselves  there  like  glorious  banners. 
...  It  is  impossible  that  even  the  pen  of  an  artist  can  tell  it.  What  you 
would  call,  accustomed  to  the  so.ier  tints  of  nature,  a  great  e.xaggeration, 
would  be  the  utmost  tameness  compared  with  the  reality.  It  is  as  though 
tile  most  glorious  sunset  you  ever  saw  had  been  caught  and  held  upon  that 
rcs[)lcndent,  awful  gorge."  The  grentest  artists  admit  that  here  are'  "  the 
most  brilliant  colors  that  the  human  eye  ever  saw  "  and  that  the  beauty  of 
their  tints  is  far  beyond  the  skill  of  human  art  to  attain.  These  magnifi- 
Ljntly  colored  walls  of  rock,  rising  almost  perpendicularly  to  a  height  of 
fro-n  800  to  |,2CX3  feet,  present  a  scene  of  grandeur  and  beauty  combined 
whicn  never  has  been,  and  never  can  be,  adequately  described. 

At  the  lower  portion  of  the  Grand  Caflon  a  stream  called  Tower  Creek 
empties  into  the  Yellowstone  River.  Its  name  is  due  to  the  fact  that  near 
the  falls,  for  which  it  is  nlso  noted,  are  large  numbers  of  massive  columns. 
The  falls  are  only  about  200  y;ird«  from  the  junction  of  the  creek  with  the 
river.  The  water  has  a  direct  fall  of  156  feet,  and  the  falls  and  their  sur- 
roundings are  remarkably  beautiful  and  picturesque.  The  gigantic  pillars 
rise  from  the  foot  of  the  falls  to  a  height  of  fifty  feet  above  the  top  of  the 
jirecipice.  There  are  also  several  rows  of  massive  columns,  arranged  in  reg- 
ular order  along  the  walls  of  the  carton  only  a  short  distance  from  the  falls. 

Among  the  other  places  of  interest  are  the  Gibbon  Caflon  and  Falls,  both 
remarkable  for  their  beauty  and  grandeur.  At  the  falls  a  considerable  body 
of  water  plunges  over  a  precipice  160  feet  in  height. 

Only  a  few  of  the  almost  numberless  attractions  of  the  great  National 
Park  have  been  named.  For  anything  approaching  an  e.vhaustive  descrip- 
tion volumes  would  be  required.  Hut  enough  has  been  said  to  show  that  it 
is  a  marvellous  region  both  in  the  character  and  the  profusion  of  its  natural 
curiosities.  Within  its  comparatively  small  area  are  to  be  found  a  larger 
number  of  hot  springs  and  geysers  than  in  all  the  remaind'^r  of  the  world, 


m. 


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316     rni':  crkat  won I)i:r lands  ok  our  repuhlic: 

ami  it  is  (l<)iil)tlcss  within  the  h'mits  of  tho  truth  to  assert  that  "in  its  special 
ranj^c  of  phenomena  it  iias  no  rival  upon  the  earth." 


It  is  extremely  fortunate  that 
the  United  States  Government 
promptly  took  possession  of  this 
marvellous  region,  thus  saving  it 
from  the  hands  of  vandals  who  would 
^^  have  defaced  its  curiosities,  and  from 
^S  the  grasp  of  speculators  who  would 
ci.iFi-  IN  i;kam)  caSon  of  the  YEi.i.owbiu.,i..  have  charged  enormous  prices  for 
permission  to  view  its  principal  attractions.  It  is  now  the  property  of  the 
people,  held  for  their  use,  and  free  to  all.     It  is  also  a  matter  for  rejoicing 


NATURAL   SCENKRY   AND   CKLKHRATKD    RESORTS.       U7 

that  the  Pacific  Railroads  have  been  completed  ami  that  thus  a  way  of 
ii'.ichin^  the  Park  quickly,  cisily,  and  economically,  has  been  proviilcU. 
While  the  commercial  benefits  conferred  by  these  roads  are  beyond  compu- 
tation, they  are  also  renderin^j  an  invaluable  service  in  makinjj  accessible  to 


the  people  the  most 
muffnificent  pleasure 
ground  in  the  world. 

The  Park  is  under 
{governmental  supervi- 
sion. Leases  of  land  for  the  erection  of  suitable  buildings  are  issued  where 
structures  are  required  for  the  public  accommodation,  roads  and  bridle  paths 
are  constructed,  and  fish  and  game  are  preserved  from  wanton  destruction. 


FALLS  OK  THE  GIBBON   RIVER,    NATIONAL    PARK. 


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?i«       THi:   (IRKAT  \V0N1)I:RLAN1)S   of   our    RlCl'UHLIC. 

I*"()r  "  cainpiiit;  out  "  no  better  |>laci.'  can  be  fouiul,  while  for  tliosc  who  preft  r 
a  different  mode  of  life,  there  are  hotels  which  supply  cverythiiitj  necessary 
for  their  accommodation  and  comfort.  A  trip  to  the  I'ark  involves  much 
less  e.xpense  than  one  to  foreit;n  lands;  it  has  fewer  annoyances,  and  ^'ives 
grander  scenes  and  sublimer  views  than  can  there  be  obtained.  So,  while  ,i 
foreign  trip  is  desirable,  the  wise  tourist  will  form  an  acquaintance  with  tlu' 
wonders  of  his  native  land  before  seeking;  the  yreat,  but  still  inferior,  attrac- 
tions of  the  beautiful  countries  across  the  sea. 


THE  YOSEMITE  VALLEY. 

HE  famous  Vosemite,  which  for  scenic  attractions  is  "matchless 
among  the  valleys  of  the  world,"  is  situated  in  Mariposa  Count), 
California.  It  lies  west  of  the  Sierra  Nevaila  Mountains,  and, 
measuring  from  north  to  south,  in  about  the  centre  of  the  State.  It  is  about 
150  miles  from  San  Francisco,  but  is  reached  from  that  city  by  a  circuitous 
route  of  220  miles.  The  direction  is  slightly  south  of  east.  It  had  long  been 
the  refuge  of  predatory  bantls  of  Indians,  and  was  discovered,  in  1851,  i)y 
white  men  in  pursuit  of  some  of  die  plunderers  of  their  settlements  near  the 
mining  camps  in  the  Mariposa  region.  F'rom  the  report  which  these  dis- 
covers gave  of  the  wonders  of  the  region,  many  people  were  induced  to  visit 
it,  and  in  a  few  years  it  became  a  famous  resort.  In  1864  the  Congress  of 
the  United  States  donated  to  the  State  of  California  this  wonderful  \alley 
to  be  held  as  a  place  of  public  resort,  and  to  be  "  inalienable  for  all  time." 
The  property  is  controlled  by  commissioners  appointed  by  the  governor  of 
the  State.  They  have  power  to  lease  portions  of  the  valley  and  expend  the 
money  thus  obtained  in  making  desirable  improvements  and  rendering  the 
attractions  more  easily  accessible.  Private  parties  have  also  done  a  great 
deal  in  the  way  of  building  wagon  roads  and  in  making  trails  up  some  of  the 
principal  elevations  in  the  vicinity.  In  1886  a  branch  railroad,  twent)-two 
miles  in  length,  was  opened  from  Kcrenda,  on  the  Central  Pacific  line,  to 
Raymond,  from  which  point  there  is  a  stage  line  direct  to  the  valley. 

The  Yosemite  Valley  is  about  six  miles  in  length  and  from  one-half  mile 
to  almost  two  miles  in  width.  Its  granite  walls  rise  almost  vertically  to  a 
height  of  from  3,000  to  6,000  feet.  On  account  of  the  narrowness  of  the 
valley  this  enormous  elevation  of  the   walls  appears  much  greater  than  it 


BPIDAIi   VKIL   FALLS,    YOSKMITK   VALLEY. 


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320      THE   GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OF   OUR    REPUBLIC: 

would  if  they  were  more  widely  separated.  The  walls,  too,  have  a  clean  rise 
from  the  bottom  of  the  valley  instead  of  being  piled  to  quite  a  height  with 
fragments  which  have  been  separdted  from  them  by  the  action  of  the  ele- 
ments, as  is  the  case  with  many  high  clifTs  in  other  localities. 

Among  the  principal  attractions  of  the  valley  is  the  massive  rock,  I.) 
Capitan.  This  is  not  nearly  as  high  as  some  of  the  other  cliffs,  though  it 
••eaches  an  altitude  of  3,300  feet.  But  its  sides  are  entirely  bare  and  smooth, 
and  it  forms  one  of  the  most  imposing  rocks  in  the  world.  Just  across  the 
valley  is  the  Bridal  Veil  Fall,  one  of  the  most  beautiful  cascades  ever  seen. 
The  water  of  a  creek  of  the  same  name  has  a  clear  fall  of  630  feet,  striking  a 
pile  of  debris  and  then  falling  about  300  feet  additional,  making  a  total  fall  of 
more  than  900  feet.  Its  name  is  due  to  the  fact  that  sometimes  the  wind  causes 
the  stream  of  water  to  flutter  like  a  white  veil.  Just  below  El  Capitan,  and  on 
the  same  side  of  the  valley,  is  a  fall  of  more  than  1,000  feet  which  is  beautiful 
in  the  spring,  but  the  stream  which  feeds  it  is  entirely  dry  in  the  summer. 
This  is  known  as  the  Virgin's  Tears  Fall.  Near  the  Bridal  Veil  Fall  are  the 
famous  Cathedral  Rocks.  They  are  formed  by  an  enormous,  and  almost 
vertical  clifT,  rising  to  the  height  of  2,660  feet  and  divided  by  a  clear  cut 
notch.  Farther  up  the  valley  may  be  seen  the  Three  Brothers,  a  group  of 
enormous  pillars,  the  highest  of  which  reaches  an  altitude  of  3,830  feet. 
From  the  summit  of  this  great  rock  a  magniiicent  view  of  the  valley  is  ol)- 
tained.  Almost  opposite  this  group  is  a  mighty  clifY  from  which  towers  a 
granite  obelisk  which  resembles  a  watch  tower,  and  is  called  the  Sentinel 
Rock.     From  the  foot  of  this  rock  to  the  summit  is  more  than  3,000  feet. 

The  Yosemite  Falls,  regarded  by  many  visitors  as  the  chief  attraction  of 
the  valley,  are  opposite  the  Sentinel  Rock.  Here  the  water  of  the  Yosemite 
Creek  passes  over  the  northern  wall  of  the  valley.  The  descent  is  by  two 
magnificent  falls  and  a  series  of  cascades,  and  measures  2,600  feet.  The  first 
descent  is  a  vertical  fall  of  1,500  feet,  then  comes  a  series  of  cascades  by 
which  a  level  626  feet  lower  is  reached,  from  which  point  the  water  takes  its 
final  fall  of  over  400  feet.  At  the  head  of  the  falls  the  water  is,  in  the  early 
summer,  about  two  feet  deep  and  the  stream  is  from  twenty  feet  to  twenty- 
five  feet  wide.  Late  in  the  season,  however,  the  volume  of  water  is  greatly 
decreased.  It  has  been  asserted  that  "  no  other  cataract  in  the  world  cm 
compare  w  ith  this  in  height  and  romantic  beauty." 

The  falls  of  the  Merced  River  are  also  remarkable.  The  upper  one, 
known  as  the  Nevada   Fally  has  a  descent  of  about  600  feet.     The  lower,  or 


NATURAL   SCENERY   AND  CELEBRATED   RESORTS.      ?2i 

Vernal  Fall,  is  about  400  feet  in  height.  Between  these  falls  is  a  series  of 
r.ipiils  of  the  greatest  beauty  and  interest.  These  falls  are  far  more  uniform 
than  those  on  the  smaller  creeks.  As  the  river  is  fed  by  the  melting  snow 
on  the  mountains  the  flow  of  water  is  but  slightly  diminished  during  the 
summer  when  some  of  the  other  streams  are  entirely  dry.  Along  the  gorge 
called  Tenaya  Cafton  are  a  number  of  imposing  cliffs  which  rise  to  a  great 
height.  The  Washington  Column  and  the  Royal  Arches  are  on  the  northern 
side,  while  above  them  towers  the  North  Dome.  The  latter  reaches  an  alti- 
tude of  3,568  feet.  Opposite  this,  on  the  southern  side  of  the  gorge,  the 
wonderful  granite  peak  known  as  the  Half  Dome  appears.  This  vast  clifT 
rises  4,737  feet,  and  is  the  highest  point  in  the  vicinity.  A  path  has  been 
made  by  which  tourists  can  reach  the  summit.  From  this  lofty  elevation, 
almost  a  mile  above  the  surface  of  the  valley,  the  view  is  indescribably 
beautiful. 

There  are  various  points  from  which  excellent  views  of  the  valley  may 
be  obtained  without  the  long  and  toilsome  ascent  of  the  highest  cliffs.  In- 
spiration Point  is  at  the  very  entrance  of  the  valley,  where  the  Merced  River 
leaves  its  cafion,  and  offers  a  splendid  view  of  the  enchanting  region. 
Mnran's  Point,  nearly  across  from  the  mouth  of  Tenaya  Cafion,  lies  at  an 
elevation  of  about  2,000  feet,  and  is  an  excellent  place  of  observation.  A 
little  farther  east  is  Glacier  Point,  about  3,000  feet  above  the  valley,  which 
affords  an  almost  unobstructed  view  of  all  its  prominent  features. 

The  beauty  of  the  valley  is  greatly  enhanced  by  the  numerous  trees  which 
have  flourished  here  for  centuries  and  which  still  maintain  all  the  vigor  of 
youth.  The  Merced  River,  with  its  clear  and  cold  stream,  flowing  through 
the  centre  of  the  valley  also  adds  a  picturesque  feature  to  the  scene,  while 
the  flowers  of  many  varieties  and  numberless  shades  and  colors  which  in 
their  season  cover  the  ground,  add  an  indescribable  charm  to  a  magnificent 
scene. 

Only  about  sixteen  miles  from  the  Yosemite  Valley,  and  in  the  same 
county,  is  the  famous  Mariposa  grove  of  trees  of  enormous  size.  This 
should,  by  all  means,  be  visited  by  tl  e  tourist  who  has  reached  the  Yosemite 
region.  Like  the  Yosemite  Valley,  this  grove  is  a  government  reservation 
and  is  under  oflficial  supervision.  The  trees  are  in  two  groups.  In  the  upper 
,L;ioup  there  are  365  trees  which  are  thirty-three  feet  in  circumference  and  a 
large  number  of  smaller  ones  which  if  standing  outside  of  this  marvellous 
region  would  be  considered  of  enormous  size.     The  lower  group,  which  is 


V    ,-I-ilM' 


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,     ,.1  I'U'  ■^.,  ■« 


322      THE   GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OF   OUR   REPUBLIC. 

5,500  feet  above  the  sea,  has  about  125  trees,  each  of  which  measures  more 
than  forty  feet  in  circumference.  The  one  named  Grizzly  Giant  has  a  cir- 
cumference of  more  than  ninety-three  feet  at  the  base  and  of  more  tlian 
sixty-four  feet  at  a  distance  of  eleven  feet  from  the  ground.  The  first  branch 
is  about  six  feet  in  diameter,  and  almost  200  feet  from  the  ground.  'Ihr 
tallest  tree  of  this  group,  now  standing,  measures  272  feet.  Some  of  tlicsc 
trees  arc  believed  by  scientists  to  be  2,000  years  old.  In  the  Calaveras 
County  groves,  lying  farther  north,  are  several  trees  much  taller  than  ;iii)  in 
the  Mariposa  region.  One,  called  the  Key-Stone  State,  is  325  feet  in  heii^rjit, 
while  there  are  three  others  which  exceed  300  feet.  But  the  Mariposa  grove, 
lying  near  the  Yosemite  Valley,  is  more  easily  reached   by   tourists  to  tliat 


s^i 


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f't 


So  far  as  is  known  the  first  tree  of  this  species  ever  seen  by  a  white  man 
was  discovered  in  the  Calaveras  grove  by  a  hunter  named  Dowd,  in  1S52. 
After  considerable  difficulty  Sequoia  gigantia  was  fixed  upon  as  the  scientific 
name  of  this  "unquestioned  giant  of  the  vegetable  world."  It  is  confined  to 
a  very  limited  area,  being  found  only  on  the  western  side  of  the  Sierra 
Nevada  Mountains,  while  its  range  of  latitude  is  less  than  three  degrees.  It 
does  not  appear  at  a  lower  elevation  than  4,760  feet,  nor  at  a  greater  height 
than  about  7,000  feet.  But  it  is  the  king  of  trees  for  the  whole  world,  f.ir 
surpassing  in  bulk  the  taller  Eucalyptus  of  which  Australia  boasts.  No  visit 
to  the  Yosemite  region  can  be  considered  complete  which  does  not  inciiide 
a  trip  to  at  least  one  of  the  districts  in  which  these  gigantic  trees  are  found. 


THE  COLUMBIA  RIVER  REGION. 

ASSING  toward  that  portion  of  our  territory  which,  with  the  excep 
tion  of  Alaska,  a  land  widely  separated  from  the  main  part  of 
the  United  States,  forms  the  northwestern  section  of  the  Union, 
we  enter  the  region  of  the  Columbia  River.  This  river  is  the  largest  which 
enters  the  Pacific  Ocean  from  the  American  side  and  was  long  known  as  the 
Oregon  River.  It  follows  an  extremely  tortuous  course  and  varies  greatly 
in  all  its  essential  features  in  different  portions  of  the  territory  which  it 
traverses.  Rising  in  British  Columbia,  away  up  on  the  western  side  of  the 
Rocky  Mountains,  it  flows  toward  the  northwest  for  about  150  miles.  It  then 
turns  southward  and  enters  Washington.     Here  Clark's  River  unites  with  it 


:>  1.  ■ 


UALLKTS    HADES,    COLUMUIA    KIVKK. 


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324      THE   GREAT  WONDERLANDS  OF   OUR    REPUBLIC: 

and  its  southern  direction  is  kept  until  it  reaches  Oregon.  From  this  point 
a  distance  of  about  300  miles,  it  forms  the  boundary  between  the  two  Stales 
of  Washington  and  Oregon.  Its  course  is  toward  the  west,  but  deviates 
greatly  from  a  straight  line,  deflecting  toward  the  south  in  the  central  port  inn 
of  the  State  and  making  a  sharp  turn  toward  the  north  when  near  the 
western  side.  After  another  curve  toward  the  west  it  soon  enters  tlic 
Pacific  Ocean. 

During  its  course  the  Columbia  receives  several  rivers  of  considerable  size. 
Among  them  is  the  Willamette,  which  enters  the  Columbia  more  than  100 
miles  from  the  ocean.  The  total  length  of  the  Columbia  is  about  i,4CK) 
miles,  its  flow  is  rapid,  and  its  volume  of  water  is  immense.  With  the  ex- 
ception of  two  points  it  is  navigable  for  about  400  miles,  and  by  improve- 
ments of  the  channel  it  is  expected  that  the  principal  obstacles  to  continu- 
ous navigation  which  now  exist,  will  eventually  be  removed. 

But  the  fame  of  the  Columbia  River  is  principally  due  to  the  magnificent 
scenery  which  it  presents  throughout  a  large  part  of  its  course.  It  is  nut 
merely  an  enormous  stream  flowing  majestically  through  a  devious  way.  but 
it  is  a  great  river  set  in  a  framework  of  glorious  surroundings.  In  point  of 
grand  environment  it  has  no  successful  rival  on  the  American  continent. 
Along  its  shores  Nature  appears  in  many  and  varied  forms  of  grandeur.  At 
various  places  its  walls  are  literally  "  mountain  high  "  and  in  many  portions 
of  its  course  its  current  has  an  impetuous  flow.  Cataracts  abound.  At  some 
points  its  shores  are  near,  at  others  they  lie  far  apai  t.  Where  the  Willamette 
is  received  it  spreads  to  such  a  width  as  to  appear  like  a  lake  rather  than 
river,  and  many  beautiful  little  islands  dot  its  surface.  Nevv  beauties  are 
almost  constantly  appearing  to  the  traveller  along  its  course,  and  some  of  tlie 
changes  of  scene  are  as  sudden  and  unexpected  as  they  are  enchanting. 

The  traveller  by  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  will  pass  through  the  Walla 
Walla  Country,  in  Washington,  celebrated  for  its  excellent  farming  land,  its 
heavy  yield  of  grain,  and  extensive  production  of  fruit,  and  in  which  many 
pleasant  views  are  to  be  obtained.  Soon  afterward  he  will  enter  Oregon  am! 
ere  long  reach  the  shore  of  the  great  Columbia.  For  a  while  there  will  he 
nothing  startling,  or  even  particularly  interesting,  in  the  scenery.  The  river 
flows  quietly  through  a  nearly  level  country.  But  this  condition  lasts  only  a 
short  time.  The  shores  become  higher,  there  is  something  bold  and  even  rut;- 
ged  in  their  appearance,  and  the  flow  of  the  water  becomes  much  more  rapid 
and  impetuous.     A  great  lava  bed  is  reached  and  the  railroad  passes  over  a 


Wiim>i' 


3  contiiui- 


NATURAL   SCENERY  AND   CELEBRATED   RESORTS.      325 

surface  formed  from  matter  thrown,  perhaps  countless  ages  ago,  from  some 
vnlcano  which,  happily  for  the  tourist,  is  now  extinct.     The  bluffs  here  rise 
sharply,  at  only  a  little  distance  from  the  river,  and  their  discolored  sides  pre 
sent  anything  but  an  inviting  appearance.     It  is  said,  however,  that  on  the 
heights  the  land  is  fertile  and  is  under  cultivation. 

At  Celilo,  nearly  130  miles  from  the  confluence  of  the  Snake  River  with 
the  Columbia,  the  shore  is  sandy  on  the  Oregon  side  while  on  the  opposite 
shore  of  the  river  frowning  bluffs  arise.     Here  too  is  a  strongly  marked  change 


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MOUNT    llooli,    I-KOM   Til'    HEARV   OF  THE   DALI.F.S,    COI.IMIU A    RIVKK,    (iRFC.nN. 

in  the  current  and  in  the  character  of  the  bed  of  the  river.  The  water  flows 
more  swiftly  and  the  channel  is  rocky.  Except  in  time  of  high  water,  when 
the  snow  on  the  mountains  melts  under  the  summer  heat,  steamers  do  not  pass 
this  point.  Even  at  the  most  favorable  time  the  trip  is  not  entirely  safe. 
I'>oin  a  station  above  this  spot  steamers  go  without  difificulty  for  a  long 
distance.  After  a  turbulent  course  of  thirteen  miles  the  river  again  becomes 
calm  and  is  easily  navigable.  Various  objects  of  interest  come  into  view  in 
this  vicinity.  A  huge  cliff  around  which  the  track  is  laid,  and  the  Little 
Dalles,  will  attract   attention.     But    grander  scenes   are   near  at    hand  and 


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328      THh   GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OF   OUR   REPUHLIC. 

those,  tliougli  beautiful  and  impressive  in  themselves,  will  sink  into  insiMi,if,. 
cance  when  compared  with  tho  falls  and  cliffs  a  little  farther  down  the  river. 

The  Great  Dalles  will  fill  the  beholder  with  wonder  and  admiral imd. 
Here  the  river  passes  through  a  channel  only  about  sixty  yards  wide.  Basal- 
tic rocks  risinj^  sharply  from  its  bed  wall  it  in.  The  water  rushes  maill\  on 
through  this  narrow  course.  Its  depth  is  unknown.  It  boils  and  foams  in 
fury,  but  cannot  burst  its  bounds.  The  rapids  continue  for  more  than  two 
miles.  Then  the  river  assumes  a  more  peaceful  character,  but  occasional 
waterfalls  occur,  and  the  shores  are  broken  and  rugged.  From  the  head  of 
the  Dalles  and  looking  away  from  the  immediate  vicinity  many  beautiful 
mountain  peaks  may  be  seen,  with  Dalles  City  lying  in  the  foreground. 

One  of  the  most  imposing  views  from  this  vicinity  is  that  of  Mount  llood, 
a  majestic  peak  which  is  beautiful  in  outline  as  well  as  massive  in  form. 
Many  travellers  by  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad  make  a  trip  to  this  mountain, 
which  lies  some  twenty-five  miles  from  the  nearest  station.  Stages  run  to 
the  foot  of  the  mountain.  The  scenery  along  the  route  is  magnificent,  and 
from  the  summit  the  view  is  indescribably  grand  and  inspiring.  Mountain 
peaks  covered  with  snow  rise  from  near  and  from  distant  points.  I'orrsts 
and  rivers,  beautiful  valleys,  the  great  Puget  Sound,  together  with  towns  and 
villages  in  the  open  land,  make  a  picture  of  wonderful  beauty  and  sublimity. 
For  mountain  scenery,  it  is  claimed,  there  is  no  other  point  of  view  in  the 
country  equal  to  the  summit  of  Mount  Hood. 

The  Cascades,  at  which  point  the  river  cuts  through  the  Cascade  Range, 
both  the  Upper  and  the  Lower,  are  wonderfully  beautiful  in  themselves  and 
in  the  majestic  walls  and  massive  pillars  which  stand  like  eternal  sentinels  to 
watch  the  tumultuous  flow  of  the  great  river  which  they  inclose.  On  the 
westward  way  the  scenery  becomes  still  wilder  and  more  majestic.  Mountains 
are  grouped  in  curious  forms.  Rocky  terraces  rising  to  sublime  heights 
appear.  Cliff  rises  above  cliff,  crag  is  piled  on  crag.  In  ever-varying  forms 
and  differing  arrangements  these  great  features  constantly  appear.  Faliiiii,' 
over  these  clifYs  innumerable  cascades  are  seen,  and  at  various  points  we 
have  falls  which  cannot  be  adequately  described.  Of  these  perhaps  the  most 
beautiful  is  the  Multnomah  Falls.  Here  the  water  has  an  unbroken  fall  of 
several  hundred  feet  and  almost  immediately  makes  another  plunge  to  the 
depths  below.  The  total  fall  is  800  feet.  Oneonta  Falls  closely  rival  the 
Multnomah  and  have  about  the  same  height. 

The  Pillars  of  Hercules,  between  which  the  Northern   Pacific    Railroad 


w 


CAPE    IlOKN,    C'(i)LU]MBlA    KIVKK. 


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330      THE   GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OF   OUR    REI'UHLIC. 

passes,  fill  the  iniiul  with  wonder  and  awe.  Raising  their  massive  fonns 
toward  the  sky  they  seem  lil<e  miracles  of  nature  in  a  land  of  woiuki-.. 
I'assin}^  these  colossal  towers  we  come  to  a  somewhat  more  open  coiiiUi\- 
from  which  wider  views  are  obtaineil.  Soon  after  leavinj^  this  point  the  rail 
road  continues  west  to  Portland,  while  the  river  pursues  its  windinj^  course 
toward  the  northwest. 

Of  the  magnificent  views,  the  grand  and  peculiar  features  of  the  natur.il 
scenery  of  the  Columbia  River,  only  a  few  have  been  noted.  To  descrilx: 
them  all  would  require  a  volume,  even  to  name  them  would  require  nidii' 
space  than  we  have  at  command.  lUit  among  the  towering  and  frowning 
cliffs  which  rise  almost  perpendicularly  from  the  river  bank  and  close  to  whicii 
the  railroad  track  is  laid,  Gibraltiir  and  Hallets  Hades,  deserve  to  be  specially 
mentioned.  Cape  Horn,  too,  rising  to  a  height  of  700  feet  and  standing  like 
an  outpost  at  a  bend  of  the  river,  presents  a  magnificent  view  either  from 
the  cars  or  from  the  steamers  which  run  close  to  its  base. 

Neither  is  all  the  splendid  scenery  of  this  wonderful  region  to  be  found 
in  the  narrow  belt  of  country  to  a  view  of  which  the  traveller  who  makes  ,1 
continuous  journey  by  rail  is  necessarily  confined.  There  are  magnificent 
mountains  and  beautiful  lakes  in  other  regions  of  Washington  and  Oregon. 
There  are  peaks  covered  with  perpetual  snow  and  streams  winding  through 
rocky  glens  and  falling  in  beautiful  cascades.  Beautiful  and  fertile  valleys 
in  which  are  located  thriving  towns  and,  at  but  little  distance  therefrom,  dense 
forests  of  large  a'ld  valuable  trees,  may  also  be  found.  In  the  Grande  Ronde 
Valley  are  fertile  fields  and  plenty  of  fish  and  game.  Its  distinguishing 
feature,  however,  may  be  seen  in  the  medicinal  springs  which  here  abound. 
In  one,  which  is  known  as  "  Hot  Lake,"  the  water  is  at  a  boiling  temperature 
when  it  rises  from  the  ground.  It  flows  in  c]uite  a  volume  and  spreads  over 
an  area  of  some  three  acres  in  extent. 

Oregon  City,  on  the  Willamette  River  and  near  rhe  Willamette  Falls,  is 
the  oldest  city  in  the  State  of  Oregon  and  was  for  a  number  of  years  the 
capital.  It  is  about  twelve  miles  from  Portland,  has  a  magnificent  water 
power,  several  important  industrial  interests,  and  is  destined  to  become  a 
great  manufacturing  centre.  The  Falls  are  about  forty  feet  in  height  and 
are  remarkably  beautiful.  Up  to  this  point  the  river  is  navigable  for  large 
boats,  and  during  a  large  part  of  the  year  small  steamers  can  pass  130  miles 
above  the  Falls.  A  canal  has  recently  been  completed  by  means  of  which 
boats  can  pass  the  F'alls.     There  are  four  lift  locks,  each  of  which  changes  the 


Ml'LT-NOMAH    FALLS,   COLUMBIA    KIVKK. 


IM 


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332       TlIK   (iKKAT   WONUr.KLANDS   OI"   OL'K    KKi'LHLlL. 

level  tell  feet,  ami  above  these  is  a  Iar{,'e  ^jiiartl  lock.  This  ^Teat  work  w, is 
tompktiil  at  a  cost  of  more  than  half  a  iiuUioii  dollars,  of  which  part  was 
paid  !)>■  the  construction  company,  ami  the  remainder  contributed  by  the 
State.  Throu'^hout  the  Willamette  Valley  the  scener\'  is  fine,  and  the  touii,i 
will  find  it  a  deliLjhtful  region  in  which  to  spend  a  portion  of  his  leisure  tinn'. 
I'ortland,  the  western  terminus  of  the  line  of  the  Ore^jon  Railway  ami 
Navi^jation  Co.,  is  also  a  city  in  which  the  traveller  in  search  of  cither  pkaMin 
or  knowled^'e  will  find  much  to  interest  him.  It  is  a  cit)-  of  wonderful  j^rowtli 
and  i)rosperit}'.  Although  nearly  120  miles  from  the  ocean,  it  is  practic.illy 
a  seapt)rt  to  which  ships  come  from  all  parts  of  the  globe.     It  is  located  (m 


l*';)li^ 


KI.OATlNc;    FISH    WIIKEI.  ON    THE  COUMUI  \    KIVE 
(iKKliON. 


the  Willamette  River,  twelve  miles  from  its  union  with  the  Columbia,  and  is 
destined  to  become  one  of  the  great  cities  of  the  West.  Astoria,  on  tlu 
Columbia  River  and  near  its  mouth,  should  also  receive  a  visit.  In  ijoint  n| 
population  it  is  second  in  the  State  and  is  rapidly  growing.  Its  manufactur- 
ing interests  arc  important,  but  the  great  commercial  interest  centres  in  tin 
fisheries.  Nearly  two-thirds  of  the  canneries  of  the  Columbia  River  aic 
located  at  this  point,  and  about  $3,000,000  worth  of  salmon  are  canned  licre 
every  year.  The  fish  are  not  only  caught  in  nets  and  seines,  but  also  in 
various  forms  of  traps  and  by  means  of  floating  wheels  which  take  the  fish  in 
shoals  and  land  them  in  the  boats  upon  which  the  wheels  are  placed.  In  this 
region  tlic  salmon  fishery  attains  its  greatest  development.     With  the  exccp- 


nbia,  and  i-^ 
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334      THE   (iREAT  WONDERLANDS   OK   OUR    REPUBLIC: 

tion  ot  Alaska  no  portion  of  the  world  can  bo  compared  with  it  for  tlir 
abundance  and  value  of  this  important  variety  of  fish.  The  view  of  the  ba\ 
is  very  fine,  ant!  there  are  maijy  very  pretty  places  within  easy  rjach.  A 
lar^e  ami  excellent  hotel  faces  the  ocean  and  there  are  various  other  houses 
at  which  visitors  are  well  entertained. 

The  tourist  who  desires  to  go  still  farther  can  make  a  pleasant  trip  of 
nearly  150  miles  from  Astoria  to  Tacoma,  located  on  the  famous  Puget  Sound. 
Thirty-eight  miles  from  Portland,  by  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad,  at 
Hunter's  Point,  the  train  is  ferried  across  the  Columbia  River  by  a  boat  built 
for  this  road,  capable  of  taking  thirty  cars  at  a  trip,  and  said  to  be  the  finest 
boat  of  the  kind  ever  built.  The  adjacent  country  is  pleasant  and  tlu' 
mountain  scenery  is  magnificent.  The  Cascade  Range  rises  in  blue  and  white 
tints  and  in  beautiful  form,  and  for  a  long  distance  Mount  Hood,  with  its  snowy 
crown,  though  now  far  away,  is  in  full  view.  This  usually  attracts  a  large 
share  of  the  tourists'  attention.  The  beauty  of  the  mountain  itself,  though 
an  excellent  one,  is  not  the  only  reason  for  this  close  observation.  Another 
cause  is  found  in  the  fact  that  when  viewed  from  a  distant  point,  under  \ary- 
ing  atmospheric  conditions,  the  appearance  is  widely  different  from  that 
presented  when  the  observer  is  in  its  immediate  vicinity.  The  traveller  who 
Hasan  eye  to  natural  beauty  is  fairly  entranced  by  the  "changing  splendors" 
which  this  glorious  peak  presents.  Other  great  mountains  also  come  in  view 
as  the  journey  is  continihed. 

When  the  traveller  reaches  a  point  within  about  forty  miles  of  its  base  the 
loft\  snow-crowned  Tacoma  comes  into  view  for  a  brief  period  through  an 
opening  in  the  dense  forest  which  during  quite  a  portion  of  the  way  inter 
vcnes.  A  little  farther  on  the  traveller  beholds  the  great  inland  sea  known 
as  Puget  Sound,  and  at  Tacoma,  located  at  the  head  of  Commencement  Ha\ , 
he  will  find  sailing  craft  of  various  descriptions,  including  large  ocean  vessels. 
This  is  the  western  terminus  of  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad.  Here  are 
manufactories  and  fisheries,  and  evidences  of  commercial  activity  and  pros- 
perity appear  on  every  hand.  The  tourist  will  find  much  to  interest  him, 
{Tood  accommodations,  bracing  air  and,  except  in  winter,  when  it  is  very  moist 
as    'ell  as  mild,  a  fine  climate. 

From  this  point  the  tourist  should  make  a  visit  to  Mount  Tacoma,  which 
is  the  loftiest  and  the  most  beautiful  peak  in  the  vicinity.  Recent  measure- 
ments have  shown  its  summit  to  be  14,444  ^^^^  above  the  sea.  This  is  more 
than  650  feet  higher  than   Mount  Adams,  and  is  the  same  height  as  Mount 


,■■<  1. 


NATURAL   SCENERY  AND   CELEBRATED   RESORTS.      335 

Shasta  in  California.  Its  base  is  said  to  be  forty  miles  in  circumference.  An 
elevation  of  about  11,000  feet  may  be  reached  on  the  northern  side  with  com- 
parative ease,  but  climbing  to  the  summit  is  an  almost  impossible  feat  which 
up  to  1885  only  two  men  were  known  to  have  accomplished.  Of  the  fifteen 
glaciers  which  flow  from  this  mountain  three  are  within  easy  reach  and  are 
said  to  be  more  magnificent  than  the  famous  glaciers  of  Switzerland.  If  the 
tourist  wishes  to  loiter  on  the  way  he  will  find  during  the  last  half  of  the 
route,  which  is  traversed  on  horseback,  frequent  camps  in  which  he  will  be 
well  entertained,  and  in  the  vicinity  of  which  he  will  find  excellent  fishing  and 
hunting. 

Returning  to  Tacoma  the  tourist  will  probably  feel  the  need  of  rest  for  a 
day  or  two  from  his  mountain  trip.  He  will  then  determine  whether  to  take 
a  homeward  course  or  push  on  to  our  great  Territory  of  Alaska  at  the 
extreme  northwestern  portion  of  the  continent.  If  the  former  course  is 
cliosen  he  will  carry  with  him  the  memory  of  numberless  magnifi  "t  scenes. 
If  the  latter  is  followed,  he  can  be  sure  that  new  beauties  and  glories  await 
him  in  the  distant  land  toward  which  he  sails. 


ALASKA. 

O  a  great  extent  Alaska  is  an  unknown  land.  Only  a  small  portion 
of  its  vast  territory  has  been  carefully  explored,  and  with  the  ex- 
ception of  some  circumscribed  regions  we  have  but  meagre 
accounts  of  its  character  and  resources.  But  enough  has  been  done  in  the 
way  of  travel  and  description  to  assure  us  that  it  is  a  land  of  wonders,  and 
that  it  presents  to  the  visitor  unnumbered  scenes  of  picturesque  beauty  and 
grandeur. 

Lying  away  in  the  northwestern  portion  of  the  continent  and  covering 
an  area  of  577,390  square  miles,  an  area  more  than  ten  times  as  large  as  that 
of  the  great  State  of  Illinois  and  larger  than  the  combined  area  of  Great 
Britain,  France,  and  Germany,  it  is,  indeed,  as  its  name  signifies,  "  a  large 
country,"  Its  length,  from  extreme  points  of  east  to  west,  is  2,200  miles; 
from  north  to  south  it  measures  1,400  miles;  and,  owing  to  its  extremely  ir- 
regular form,  its  shore  line  exceeds  8,000  miles.  If  the  adjacent  islands  are 
included  in  the  measurement  we  find  a  coast  line  of  more  than  25,000  miles. 
Though  far  away  from  our  great  centres  of  civilization,  the  country  is  easily 


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338       THE   GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OF   OUR    REPUBLIC. 

reached  by  either  of  tlie  Pacific  Railroads  to  the  Pacific  coast  and  thence  hy 
large  and  elegant  steamers.  All  along  the  western  portion  of  the  continent 
the  traveller  is  surrounded  by  natural  wonders.  The  trip  by  steamer,  co\ ,  r 
ing  a  distance  of  some  2,000  miles,  is  hardly  less  astonishing  and  dclightfn! 
Keeping  near  the  shore  the  wave-motion  of  the  open  sea  is  entirely  avoidn! 
the  climate  is  mild,  and  the  magnificent  scenery  of  the  coast  is  in  full  aiul 
constant  view. 

Arriving  at  Alaska  w-e  find  the  highest  mountains  in  North  America,  oiu 
of  them,  Mount  Saint  Elias,  of  the  Coast  Range,  reaching  a  height  of  about 
19,500  feet.  Besides  this  great  range  there  are  the  Rocky  Mountains,  and 
the  Alaskan  Range,  each  of  which  has  many  towering  peaks.  The  country 
also  contains  sixty-one  volcanoes,  ten  of  which  are  active.  Mount  Edge 
eumbe,  an  extinct  volcano,  has  a  crater  nearly  400  feet  deep  and  2,000  feet 
across  tile  top.  Among  these  mountain  ranges  we  also  find  some  of  the 
greatest  glaciers  in  the  world.  One  of  these,  extending  from  Mount  Fair- 
•weather  to  the  sea,  a  distance  of  fifty  miles,  is  eight  miles  wide  and  breaks 
in  a  massive  wall  of  ice  300  feet  high.  Another,  above  Fort  Wrangel,  is 
forty  miles  long,  four  or  five  miles  wide,  and  about  1,000  feet  deep,  while 
csnly  a  little  distance  from  this  vast  mass  of  moving  ice,  boiling  springs  are 
constantly  active.  In  quite  a  large  section  of  the  country  hot  mineral  springs 
are  numerous,  and  it  is  neither  impossible  nor  improbable  that  at  jio  very 
remote  period  this  distant  region  wil!  become  a  noted  resort  for  invalids. 
Some  of  these  springs  are  of  immense  size  and  strongly  impregnated  with 
mineral  substances. 

The  rivers  of  Alaska  are  as  wonderful  in  their  way  as  the  mountains  or 
any  other  of  the  natural  i)henomena.  The  largest  is  the  Yukon,  which  in 
point  of  size  is  the  fifth  river  of  North  America  and  the  fourth  of  the  United 
States,  draining  an  extensive  area  and  from  its  various  outlets  discharging 
an  immense  quantity  of  water.  It  has  its  source  in  a  very  small  lake,  flows 
through  five  other  lakes,  and  by  a  remarkably  circuitous  course  reaches  the 
Behring  Sea.  The  whole  course  of  the  river  is  about  2,044  miles,  about  783 
of  which  are  in  British  America.  Its  waters  are  discharged  from  five  or  more 
mouths,  the  two  outer  ones  being  not  less  than  sixty  miles  apart.  So  great 
is  the  volume  of  water  from  one  of  these  mouths  that  for  a  distance  of  ten 
miles  after  it  reaches  the  sea,  the  water  is  still  fresh.  A  vast  quantity  of  sedi 
ment  is  carried  down  the  river  by  its  strong  and  rapid  flow  and  deposited  far 
out  in  the  sea.     Some  of  the  shoals  thus  formed  are  more  than  sixty  miles 


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340       THE   GRRAT  WONDERLANDS   OF   OUR    REPUBLIC. 

from  tliu  shore.  At  a  point  I,CXXD  miles  from  the  sea  tlie  river,  with  the 
numerous  ishiiuls  in  its  channel,  is  seven  miles  witle  and  it  is  supposed  lo 
reach  twice  that  width  at  other  places.  It  maintains  an  immense  wiilth  fi.r 
a  distance  of  about  300  miles.  In  the  course  of  the  river,  more  than  i,,Sa) 
miles  from  the  northern  mouth,  there  is  a  magnificent  caflon  a  mile  in  leni,nli. 
The  rapid  flow  of  the  water  continues  four  miles  farther  and  ends  in  a  beauti- 
ful cascade,  the  even  course  of  the  water  being  then  resumed.  To  this  point 
the  river  is  navigable  for  light-draught  steamers,  and  for  i,(X)0  or  1,200  Piiiks 
it  can  be  traversed  by  much  larger  vessels.  There  are  several  other  rivers  of 
large  size,  some  of  which  have  not  been  fully  explored. 

The  forests  of  the  country  are  on  the  same  scale  of  magnificence  as  its 
other  features  and  add  greatly  to  the  beauty  and  impressiveness  of  tlie 
scenery.  Not  only  the  mainland  along  the  coast,  but  the  multitude  of  islands, 
in  the  vicinity,  are  heavily  covered  with  pine,  spruce,  hemlock,  and  a  variety 
of  cedar  trees,  which  are  valuable  as  well  as  ornamental. 

As  would  be  expected  from  their  high  latitude,  the  central  and  northern 
portions  of  Alaska  are  inhospitable,  but  in  the  south-western  section  the 
climate  is  comparatively  mild,  being  tempered  by  the  warm  current  of  the 
Pacific  Ocean  in  its  course  from  the  East  Indies.  This  current,  which  closely 
resembles  the  Gulf  Stream  of  the  Atlantic,  causes  the  xessive  rainfall  for 
which  some  portions  of  the  country  are  noted.  In  Sitka  the  mean  tempera- 
ture is  very  nearly  forty-three  degrees,  and  the  annual  rainfall  is  about  eighty 
inches.  In  the  valley  of  the  Yukon,  in  some  other  districts,  and  upon  some 
of  the  islands,  several  of  the  vegetables  of  the  temperate  regions  are  grown. 

In  the  northern  portion  of  the  country,  where  the  sinking  of  a  shaft  has 
proved  that  the  ground  is  frozen  to  a  tlepth  of  seventy-five  feet,  considerable 
vegetation  grows  in  the  summer,  when  the  days  are  almost  twenty-four  hours 
in  length,  and  the  sun  shining  almost  constantly  thaws  the  surface  soil.  The 
ground  being  wet,  the  grasses  and  plants  produced  are  large  and  coarse,  but 
the)'  furnish  an  excellent  cover  for  migratory  birds,  which  flock  to  the  region 
in  vast  numbers,  making  it  one  of  the  best  of  fields  for  the  sportsman.  Then, 
too,  there  are  immense  hunting-grounds  in  which  elk,  deer,  and  fiir-bearing 
animals  abound.  The  fishing  in  several  sections  is  also  very  fine,  whether 
viewed  from  a  commercial  standpoint  or  from  that  of  the  pleasure-seeker. 
The  number  of  salmon  is  immense  and  they  grow  to  a  large  size.  The  whale 
fish'  ies  and  the  seal  hunting  are  also  objects  of  interest  to  the  tourist  as  well 
as  import.) nt  industrial  pursuits.     A  view  of  the  mines  cannot  fail  to  plea.se 


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342      THE   GREAT  WONDERLANDS   OK   OUR    REl'UHLIC: 

even  the  experienced  sight-seer.  A  visit  to  tlie  one  about  ten  miles  fidni 
Sitka,  will  also  furnish  a  pleasant  trip  across  Silver  Bay,  and  bring  the  tourist 
to  what  is  said  to  be  the  largest  quartz  mill  in  the  world. 

The  largest  settlement  of  Alaska,  and  the  only  one  in  which  the  travel!,  r 
for  pleasure  will  rare  to  spend  much  time,  is  Sitka,  the  capital  of  the  TerritMi\- 
and  place  of  residence  of  the  United  States  collector  of  customs.  It  is 
located  on  Haraiiov  island,  near  the  Pacific  coast,  and  commands  a  magniii 
cent  view  of  both  sea  and  shore.  The  "Thousand  Islands"  here  present  ,1 
scene  of  [)icturesque  beauty  hardly  excelled  by  that  of  the  world-famed  H,i\- 
of  Naples  in  the  sunny  clime  of  Italy. 

The  population  numbers  from  1,000  to  1,500.  The  Indian  residents  ha\c 
to  a  great  extent  adopted  the  dress  and  manners  of  civilized  nations,  ami 
their  children  attend  schools  which  are  maintained  by  various  religious  iIl- 
nominations  in  the  United  States.  In  common  with  the  Indians  of  other 
portions  of  North  America,  Northern  Asia,  and  other  countries,  each  import- 
ant family,  or  band,  has  its  distinguishing  totem,  or  badge,  which  consists  of 
a  figure  carved  or  marked  on  its  housjs,  clothing,  and  other  property.  At 
their  burial  places,  and  in  front  of  some  of  their  best  houses,  these  Indians 
erect  large  totem  poles  on  which  the  figure  adopted  as  the  family  or  tribal 
symbol  is  rudely  carved.  Many  of  these  poles  are  of  great  size  and  quite  ex- 
pensive. They  range  from  two  to  five  feet  in  diameter  and  some  are  not  less 
than  sixty  feet  high. 

To  the  tourist,  one  of  the  chief  objects  of  interest  in  Sitka  is  the  cathedral 
of  the  Greek  Church,  which  was  built  when  the  country  was  one  of  the 
Russian  possessions.  It  is  constructed  in  the  form  of  a  Greek  cross.  A 
cupola  caps  the  tower  in  which  the  bell  is  hung,  and  above  the  centre  of  the 
building  is  a  dome  of  emerald-green.  The  chapel,  located  in  one  of  the 
wings,  has  a  magnificent  painting  of  the  Virgin  and  Child,  copied  from  the 
original  at  Moscow,  and  heavily  draped  in  silver  with  a  beautiful  halo  of 
gold.  The  doors  to  the  chancel  are  beautifully  carved  and  heavily  gilded. 
Here,  also,  are  exquisite  paintings  of  the  Last  Supper,  the  Madonna,  and  of 
other  subjects,  all  heavily  adorned  with  silver.  This  room  women  are  never 
allowed  to  enter.  The  general  ornamentation  of  the  building  is  rich  and 
elegant,  while  the  crown  and  vestments  of  the  Bishop,  which  are  freely 
shown  to  visitors,  are  of  costly  material  and  magnificent  appearance. 

The  fortifications  and  the  United  States  signal  service  office  are  also 
places  of  interest — the  latter  largely  on  account  of  its  historical  associations. 


:4^   < 


NATURAL   SCENERY   AND  CELEBRATED    RESORTS.      343 


It  is  located  in  a  building  which  was  erected  by  the  Russians,  destroyed  by 
tin  ,  afterward  rebuilt,  and  then  demolished  by  an  earthquake.  Once  more 
it  was  erected,  in  massive  proportions,  and  it  now  seems  likely  to  successfully 
defy  for  ages  aie  power  of  the  elements  and  the  destructive  agencies  of 
time.  Therj  is  also  a  sad  story  of  a  beautiful  orphan  girl  whose  tragic  death 
occurred  within  these  walls.  She  had  promised  herself  to  a  young  lieutenant 
connected  with  the  household,  but  her  uncle  and  guardian,  the  Russian  gover- 
nor, desired  her  to  marry  a  prince  who  was  at  that  time  his  honored  guest. 
In  order  to  accomplish  his  purpose  the  Governor  profcssetl  a  deep  interest 
ill  the  lieutenant  and  sent  him  away  for  a  few  days.  Then,  against  her  will 
,iiid  in  spite  of  her  tearful  protests,  the  young  lady  was  compelled  to  marry 
the  prince.  Soon  after  the  ceremony  was  performed,  and  while  the  festivi- 
ties were  at  their  height,  the  first  lover  returned.  I-lntering  the  hall  he  took 
the  unfortunate  girl  by  the  hand  and  without  speaking  thrust  a  dagger 
through  her  heart.  Then,  in  wild  despair,  he  rushed  from  the  castle  antl 
(howned  himself  in  the  sea.  According  to  a  widely  accepted  legend  the  spirit 
of  the  murdered  girl  always  appears  on  the  anniversary  of  that  fearful  night, 
and  sometimes  when  a  storm  is  raging  she  keeps  a  light  in  a  deserted  tower 
ill  order  to  guide  the  course  of  her  lover,  whom  she  believes  is  still  at  sea. 

The  return  trip  by  steamer  will  be  etjually  interesting  with  the  one  which 
brought  the  tourist  to  this  wonderful  land.  The  scenes  then  beliekl  will 
ic-appear,  but,  being  viewed  from  a  different  direction,  will  present  new 
i)eauties  and  varying  attractions.  And  while  he  may  rejoice  to  be  "home- 
ward bound,"  the  happiness  will  be  tinged  with  regret  at  leaving  the  marvel- 
lous region  with  which  he  has  just  become  acquainted.  As  Alaska  is  now 
United  States  territory,  our  people  should  take  a  patriotic  interest  in  its 
magnificent  scenic  attractions  as  well  as  rejoice  in  its  growing  commercial 
importance.  This  vast  and  distant  ]iortion  of  our  country  should  no  longer 
be  allowed  to  remain  as  it  has  been  in  the  past,  an  almost  unnoticed  and 
unknown  land. 


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OUR    NATION: 


THE   STORY   OF   ITS 


PROGRESS    AND    GROWTH, 


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PRELIMINARY  NOTE. 

Following  is  a  rapid  general  view  of  the  structure  of  Our  Great 
Repuhlic  as  a  whole,  under  the  title  of  "  Oi/r  Nation:  The  Story  of 
its  Progress  and  (iro7vth."  Prepared  by  another  hand  for  this  work. 
it  has  been  carefully  examined  by  the  present  writer,  and  its  historic  ;il 
statements  verified  by  him.  This  brief  general  view  embraces  the 
period  of  the  marvellous  career  of  our  Nation  until  the  present  time 

Bknsox  J.  LossiNd. 

"  TlIK    RlDC.K," 

DoviT  I'lains,  N.  V.,  Oct.  ist,  i8(jo 


INTRODUCTION. 


OUR    POSITION  AMONG   THK    NATIONS-LESSONS  TAUC.HT 

IN    OUR    HISTORY. 

W'k  arc  standing  to-day  like  the  Roman  god  of  the  gates  with  our  faces 
turned  both  ways.  With  one  we  are  gazing  in  subdiieil  tenderness  upon  the 
sacred  memories  of  the  past,  and  stretching  our  hands  with  their  wealth  of 
tloucrs  to  do  honor  to  our  hero  dead  :  with  the  other  we  turn  to  the  hopeful 
luture,  and  offer  our  arms  still  strong  to  bear  its  burden  and  brave  to  share 
its  battles.  For  those  who  have  nobly  fallen  in  the  line  of  duty  the  end  has 
lonie,  and  to  them  the  fullest  praise  should  be  given;  but  for  us  who  remain, 
thf  bugle  only  sounds  the  needful  truce,  while  with  reverent  tread  we  bear  our 
comrades  to  their  resting  place  and  strew  their  graves  with  the  richest  flowers 
(if  each  returning  spring.  Var  i.s  the  respite  from  the  conflict  is  but  a  brief 
itiu.'.  The  present  makes  its  ever-increasing  demands  upon  us,  and  calls  for 
brave  hearts  with  noble  purpose  true. 

Scarcely  do  the  echoes  of  the  burial  note  and  the  "  volley  of  honor " 
(lie  upon  the  air  when  the  thrilling  tones  of  the  bugle  sound  "  O/i  to  the 
luittlc!"  If  we  thought  the  truce  meant  a  peace  we  were  most  sadly  mis- 
taken, for  we  shall  find  that  the  contest  wages  still.  The  battle-field  only  has 
changed,  and  with  it  has  changed  the  relation  of  the  contending  forces.  The 
armies  late  arrayed  against  each  other  are  divided  on  a  different  line  now. 
Happily  the  issues  of  that  contest  are  settled,  but  the  conflict  of  the  people 
against  the  enemies  of  popular  government  wages  still.  The  recent  civil  war 
was  but  one  phase  of  the  gigantic  struggle  which  began  with  our  existence  as 
a  people,  a  single  scene  of  the  national  drama  which  opened  when  the  genius 
of  liberty  "  rang  up  the  curtain,"  and  our  fathers  pronounced  the  grand  old 
prelude  in  their  immortal  bill  of  rights,  "THE  DECLARATION  OF  INDEPEND- 
ENCE." 

The  first  battalions  of  the  army  have  engaged  in  conflicts  fierce  and  long 


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348 


OUR  NATION: 


and  they  won  the  victory;  but  their  triumph  was  not  destined  to  ^ive  com- 
plete security  to  them  who  came  after  them.  The  enemies  of  popular  libcit\ 
have  been  encountered  and  overcome  on  many  a  hotly  contested  battle-field, 
but  after  each  successive  victory  new  allies  of  tyranny  have  tis  suduenlv 
arisen  ;  new  assaults  have  been  prepared;  new  tactics  have  been  en.pioyed,  antl 
still  new  enemies  pour  dow.i  upon  the  army  of  freedom.  Conquering  field 
after  field  from  their  f^es  the  patriot  soldiers  see  the  frowning  hill-tops 
beyond,  still  black  with  threatening  warrior-  pressing  forward  to  meet  them 
on  other  fields — -and  ''the  cud  is  not  yet." 

The  march  of  freedom's  host  is  like  that  of  a  conquering  army  into  a  for- 
tress that  has  been  breached.  The  men  in  the  vanguard  may  fall  by  thou- 
sands. Was  their  fall  a  failure?  Nay,  nay;  for  their  bodies  but  helped  to 
bridge  the  trench  over  which  their  comrades  have  marched  to  a  complete 
victory.  The  dying  exhortation  of  the  falling  heroes  ^d  those  who  came  after 
them  has  been  like  that  of  noble  Lawroicc,  carried  wounded  unto  death  from 
the  deck  of  his  vessci,  "  Don't  give  up  the  ship!"  Each  succeeding  genera 
tion  will  find  that  "  Etekxai.  vigilance  is  the  price  of  liberty,"  and 
this  price  must  ever  be  paid  by  tho.se  who  would  retain  it ! 

"  This  last  successful  experiment  of  self-government  by  the  people  "  is 
still  on  trial  before  the  ages,  .-.uk^  the  severest  tests  are  now  being  applied, 
the  strength  of  our  instit  itiot."  is  put  to  its  utmost  tension.  The  cable  of 
law  that  holds  our  ship  ol  Scate  is  being  stretched  by  two  opposite  forces: 
already  do  the  strands  sm  Dke  '.1  their  intense  friction  around  the  pierhead  of 
the  constitution.  On  the  one  side  unbriflied  license  exerts  the  full  force  of 
its  diabolic  strength ;  the  love  of  money  and  of  power,  on  the  other,  puts 
forth  all  its  energy  to  break  the  bonds  of  lawful  restraint.  Human  greed  and 
human  lust  have  united  to  bid  defiance  to  the  right, — twin  monsters  more 
hideous  than  mythology  ever  paint';d  or  poet  ever  dreamed.  They  have 
given  birth  to  a  whole  brood  of  bantlings  as  repulsive  as  themselves — the 
demagogues  in  Society  and  Church  and  State;  Communism,  with  its  red 
hand,  Ishmael-like  arrayed  against  every  man,  and  every  man's  hand  arraj-ed 
against  it ;  the  Moloch  of  wealth  seizing  in  its  fiery  arms  the  noblest  children 
of  our  race;  the  Goliath  of  intemperance  bidding  defiance  to  the  Church  of 
God  and  the  cries  of  Humanity;  the  shameless  goddess.  Free  Love,  and  her 
wanton  sister.  Easy  Divorce,  who  have  polluted  with  their  fetid,  breath  the 
purest  sanctuary  of  home;  dark-robed  Skepticism  assuming  the  name  of 
Human    Reason,  would  pluck  with  skeleton  hand    the   brightest    star  from 


t ' 


INTRODUCTION. 


349 


give  com- 
lar  libcrt\- 
attle-ficUl, 
s  ud  vie  Illy 
loyed,  and 
sring  field 
I  hill-tops 
neet  them 

into  a  for- 

1  by  tlioii- 

helped  to 

I  complete 
:ame  after 
leath  from 
ng  genera- 
RTV,"  and 

jeople  "  is 
g  applied, 
e  cable  of 
ite  forces: 
lierhead  of 

II  force  of 
)ther,  puts 
greed  and 
iters  more 
rhey  have 
elves — tlie 
th  its  red 
id  arrayed 
st  children 
Church  of 
e,  and  her 
areath  the 
:    name  of 

star  from 


our  sky  and  throw  her  own  black  mantle  of  night  over  the  horizon  that  hides 
our  hopes  of  immortality;  License  which  would  bring  to  our  land  the  Sunday 
of  Europe  and  rob  us  of  all  the  sacred  memories  which  hallow  "  the  day  of 
rest;"  the  corrupting  and  festering  influences  that  are  sapping  the  manhood 
of  the  nation  ;  the  shameless  immoralities  and  ill-concealed  dishonesties  which 
so  frequently  startle  us  with  their  public  outcroppings,  are  enough  to  sicken 
the  heart  and  unnerve  the  arm  of  the  patriot  if  he  has  not  the  sam'e  confi- 
dence in  the  God  of  battles  that  our  fathers  had.  These  are  the  foes  with 
which  we  still  have  to  contend,  in  their  new  disguises  and  upon  their  owrj 
wc'.l-chosen  and  well-fortified  battle  ground. 

Shall  we  overcome  them  ?  In  the  words  of  the  flaming  orator  of  our 
early  struggle,  "  I  have  no  way  of  judging  of  the  future,  but  by  the  past." 

Look  hack  on  the  line  of  history  along  which  this  "  Young  Republic  of 
the  West '  has  come,  and  with  the  broad  chart  of  ancient  and  modern  times 
before  yv^u  find  a  parallel  to  it  all  if  you  can!  But  little  more  than  a  century 
has  passed  ^ince  thirteen  isolated  and  dependent  colonies,  ^ith  no  commu- 
nity of  aims  and  no  mutual  bond  save  a  common  grievance  in  the  oppression 
of  the  Home  Government,  came  to  agitate  the  question  of  an  appeal  to  arms; 
and  to-day,  as  regards  moral  force  and  material  strength,  they  stand  united 
as  the  first  power  in  Christendom.  Thirteen  States  have  increased  to  (will 
some  little  boy  or  girl  who  has  the  latest  edition  of  geography  please  to  tell 
mc  ?) — I  am  unable  to  keep  up  the  count,  they  come  in  so  fast.  We  have  a 
new  star  in  our  flag  to-day,  I  believe,  and  the  number  is  thirty-eight. 

In  view  of  the  facts  in  our  remarkable  history  we  may  well  say  with  the 
inspired  Hebrew  bard,  "  He  hath  not  dealt  so  with  any  nation." 

Can  we  fathom  the  problems  of  Providence  in  reference  to  this  Ameri- 
can people  ?  Has  not  Jehovah  some  mighty  design  in  all  this  wonderful 
development  ?  Can  we  not  see  the  plainest  indications  all  along  the  highway 
of  the  past  of  the  great  fact  which  the  crazy  old  king  of  Babylon  acknowl- 
edged, "  God  doeth  according  to  his  will  in  the  army  of  heaven  and  among 
the  inhabitants  of  the  earth ;  and  none  can  stay  his  hand  ? "  Let  us  look 
back  upon  our  history  and  trace,  if  we  can,  these  developments  of  Provi- 
dence. If  we  can  do  this  we  will  not  have  misspent  the  few  moments  devoted 
to-day  to  this  exercise. 

Here  was  a  continent  lying  in  a  wilderness  state,  the  only  inhabitants 
were  the  wild  beasts  and  scarcely  less  wild  aborigines  who  roamed,  unre- 
strained, over  its  extensive  plains  and  through  its  grand  old  forests.  Here  were 


'4\i, 


W 


.-:  V' 


\-m 


^l 


M 


A 


' 

I '  -i 

1  ', 

.'SI 

'1 

i:|fl,. 


350 


OUR  NATION: 


the  same  noble  rivers;  the  same  broad  inland  seas;  the  wide  extended  prairie 
with  its  rich  deposit  of  soil ;  the  hidden  wealth  of  minerals  in  the  bowels  of 
the  earth ;  water-power  capable  of  carrying  all  the  machinery  of  the  world 
to-day;  the  same  lofty  mountains  with  their  magnificent  scenery,  the  grand- 
est upon  which  the  sun  ever  shines,  all  as  we  behold  them  now,  and  yet  for 
fifteen  hundred  years  after  the  birth  of  Christ  it  is  an  unknown  world.  And 
why  was  this  ?  Look  at  the  condition  of  the  more  civilized  parts  of  the  world 
for  these  long  centuries  and  you  will  find  the  answer, — the  dark  black  night 
of  a  thousand  years  which  had  come  over  Europe,  when  moral,  religious 
and  social  darkness  rested  on  all  the  people  so  dense  that  scarcely  a  ray 
of  light  ever  penetrated  it.  Man  was  working  out  the  bitter  problem  of 
the  relation  of  the  Church  to  the  State,  in  the  union  of  temporal  and  spiritual 
power:  and  the  fearful  solution  was  well-nigh  given  in  the  loss  of  civil  and 
religious  liberty. 

Many  abort've  attempts  were  made  to  regain  that  which  had  been  lost, 
and  the  flickering  fires,  uncertain  pnd  disconcerted,  which  arose  ever  and 
anon  amid  the  surrounding  gloom  went  quickly  out  and  made  the  darkness 
all  the  more  intense  for  their  short-lived  burning.  These  questions  had  an 
ample  theatre  in  the  old  world ;  the  new  was  held  in  reserve  for  grander  trials 
of  thos;j  questions  which  are  closely  interwoven  with  our  world-wide  human- 
ity. At  length  the  echoes  of  the  hammer  of  Luther  as  he  nailed  his  bold 
Theses  to  the  church  door  at  Wittenberg  awoke  the  people  from  their  sleep 
of  centuries,  a  sleep  which  had  cost  them  so  much,  in  which  the  chains  of  an 
irksome  bondage  were  being  riven  harder  and  harder  still  about  them.  But 
the  strength  of  the  sleeping  giant  was  aroused  and  the  br.nds  were  rent 
asunder.  And  now,  when  this  spirit  of  freedom  from  the  chains  which  had 
bound  body  and  mind  and  heart  alike,  had  swept  across  the  newly  awakened 
nations,  and  men  were  seeking  for  some  asylum  from  the  bondage,  God  him- 
self sent  the  hardy  Cienoan  navigator  in  his  Spanish  ships  to  open  the  way 
to  such  a  land  as  this.     And  he  did  it. 

When  "  the  fullness  of  times  "  had  come  He  sent  the  right  people  to  colo- 
nize the  land.  The  stern  unyielding  Puritan  with  hardy  hand  and  living  faith 
He  sent  to  Plymouth;  the  Dutchman  with  his  love  for  "  Faderland  "  to  Man- 
hattan ;  the  Quaker  with  charitable  heart  and  uncompromising  integrity  to 
build  up  the  City  of  Brotherly  Love;  the  fervent,  zealous  Catholic  to  the 
shores  of  the  Chesapeake ;  the  vanguard  of  all,  led  by  the  boldest  of  pioneers, 
to  Jamestown;  the  Huguenots  of  sunny  France  to  the  no  less  sunny  clime  of 


INTRODUCTION. 


35r 


Gcorgi.a  and  the  Carolinas.  yViicI  these  were  they  who  laid  the  foundation  of 
the  civil  government  we  now  enjoy.  Do  we  not  see  the  plainest  indications 
that  right  here,  in  this  new  world  upon  whose  eastern  shores  these  feeble 
colonies  were  planted,  there  were  questions  to  be  solved  which  were  to  affect 
all  the  race  ?  The  variety  of  creed  and  nationality  which  characterized  the 
pioneers  was  an  arrangement  of  Providence  to  hold  each  in  check,  and  thus 
prepare  for  the  coming  struggle  which  so  soon  was  to  be  theirs.  The  seeds- 
were  planted,  but  it  would  take  years  of  storm  and  unshine,  of  tempest  and 
calm,  of  anxious  watching  and  bitterest  disappointment,  before  that  seed' 
would  germinate  and  develop  into  a  full-grown  tree  beneath  whose  shadow^ 
the  nations  of  the  earth  might  rest.  This  period  which  preceded  the  revolu- 
tion is  rich  in  indications  of  manifest  providences.  All  the  wars  with  the 
Indians,  with  the  French,  and  the  wilderness,  too,  were  but  as  a  training- 
school  for  the  contest  which  they  were  to  have.  All  this  was  but  the  forma- 
tive, concentrative  period  which  was  to  try  their  young  strength  and  develop^ 
it  to  maturity. 

Like  the  infant  Hercules  crawling  from  his  cradle  to  throttle  the  twin' 
serpents  one  in  either  hand  did  these  young  colonies  contend  with  difficulties 
which  might  well  appal  the  stoutest  heart,  and  they  overcame  them.  The 
savage  climate  and  the  more  savage  aborigines  had  well-nigh  annihilated  the 
little  band.  But  still  they  stood  by  the  daring  enterprise  which  seemed  so 
perilous.  A  race  of  warriors  was  thus  reared  hardy  of  muscle  and  quick  of 
sight,  with  indomitable  courage  and  perseverance  such  as  was  soon  to  try 
the  mettle  of  the  well-trained  soldiers  of  the  Mother  Country.  The  conflict 
came.  Statesmen  and  generals  and  patriot  soldiers  were  not  wanting  for  the 
conflict. 

The  night  was  long  and  dark  and  almost  starless,  but  still  they  a\  atched 
with  unequaled  patience  for  the  coming  morning.  Seven  weary  years  of  war 
with  all  its  sad  experiences  of  want  and  misery,  of  sacrifice  and  blood,  came 
iipon  them.  Then  it  was  that  these  noble  men  needed  such  trust  in  God  as 
the  I'uritan  had  instilled  into  his  faith;  such  indomitable  perseverance  as  the 
Germanic  element  infused  with  the  burning  zeal  of  the  Catholic,  and  the  ini- 
mitable patience  of  the  Huguenot  under  affliction.  And  that  there  was  a 
wise  design  in  this  protracted  war  is  seen  in  the  fact  that  the  colonies  were 
thus  knit  together  as  never  before  by  a  community  of  sacrifice  and  suffering 
in  the  same  cause,  and  so  the  bond  which  was  to  hold  them  in  sympathy  was 
more  and  more  firmly  cemented.     At  length  the  glorious  dawn  was  ushered 


^  , 


I 


!* 'I  ]"■;.] 

■•'■ :, !'':;] 
.:.■;!  Vi 

'.!■',■.'  Il   It" 


:-ii 


■  Mi 

W 


■ 


m;! 


W 


[t? 


'^i 


:  r 


|i'3iV, 


V 


t^    'I 


;?i!i' 


352 


OUR  NATION: 


in;  faint  and  uncertain  at  first,  like  the  earliest  break  of  clay,  but  surely  com- 
ing, till  soon  the  sun  of  liberty  rises  full  and  clear  on  this  western  land. 
Clouds,  dark  and  portentous,  may  cross  his  track  and  hide  him  from  our 
view,  but  never  again  will  he  set  till  all  the  world  has  felt  the  warmth  which 
conies  from  his  beams. 

Now  follows  th.e  t  :>rm^'tive  period,  when  there  needed  men  of  wise  heads 
and  honest  hearts  to  lay  the  foundations  of  government  upon  an  unyieldint; 
basis.  That  these  men  who  gave  us  such  a  document  as  "  The  Constitution 
of  the  United  States ''  were  eminen'i}  fitted  for  such  a  task  i  amply  proven 
by  the  experimental  workings  of  this  Magna  CJiarta  of  human  rights  for  more 
than  a  century. 

Wisdom  and  patriotism  in  a  very  marked  degree  were  the  character- 
istics of  the  National  Congress  in  the  early  days  of  our  history.  It  was 
most  eminently  fitting  that  George  Washington,  who  had  commanded  the 
army  during  the  war  of  the  Revolution,  should  be  the  chosen  one  to  inaugu- 
rate the  new  government.  No  other  man  in  all  history  had  so  united  in  him- 
:seif  every  characteristic  of  nature's  nobleman  as  he.  Right  worthy  the  trust 
confided  to  him  by  a  grateful  people,  he  displayed  to  the  wondering  govern- 
ments of  Europe  an  example  unequaled  by  anything  which  had  preceded  it. 
They  sneeringly  had  asked  the  question  :  Can  the  American  people  establish 
a  republic  after  a  protracted  war,  arousing,  as  war  was  prone  to  do,  an  ambi- 
tion for  power  in  the  breast  of  the  successful  chieftain?  The  farewell  address 
•of  Cieorge  Washington  to  his  countrymen,  an  immortal  production,  is  the 
^unhesitating  answer  to  their  questioning. 

Now  succeeds  another  period  of  development  unparalleled  in  all  that  the 
world  had  before  seen.  The  government  had  demonstrated  its  adaptation 
to  the  wants  of  the  masses;  it  had  shown  its  power  to  suppress  domestic  tur 
moil,  and  now  the  country  is  at  peace.  The  pursuits  of  agriculture,  of  man- 
ufaccures  and  of  commerce  receive  the  attention  of  the  people.  Wealth  and 
commercial  influence  very  rapidly  increase,  while  throughout  all  the  land 
there  are  being  built  up  the  monuments  of  intelligence  and  industry.  The 
liberal  arts  and  sciences,  these  problems  which  touch  the  vital  interest  of  such 
a  government  as  ours,  receive  ample  attention.  Our  prosperity  at  [home  is 
not  equaled  by  our  national  standing  abroad. 

Two  of  the  chief  powers  of  Europe  were  at  war,  and  while  we  remain 
strictly  n.utral  they  each  trample  upon  our  rights  as  a  nation.  The  one 
•.takes  from  our  ships  of  war,  by  a  pretendod  right  of  search,  men  to  fill  her 


INTRODUCTION. 


355 


own  depleted  navy,  and  they  both  in  turn,  by  their  unrighteous  embargoes, 
unite  to  cripple  our  young  commerce.  France  recedes  from  her  position  and 
makes  restitution;  but  the  Mother  Land,  who  has  ever  behaved  in  a  very 
step-motherly  way  toward  her  vigorous  child,  is  compelled  to  yield  only  by 
force  of  arms.  In  this  war,  disastrous  to  both  countries,  we  were  enabled  to 
assert  our  national  dignity,  and  to  command  the  respect  of  other  nationali- 
ties. That  this  war  was  needful  is  clearly  seen  by  the  marked  increase  of  our 
commercial  interests  and  the  respect  paid  to  our  flag  by  all  other  powers;  a 
result  which  immediately  followed.  And,  again,  through  a  period  of  years 
the  development  of  our  country  keeps  p-^^e  with  the  loftiest  imagination. 
State  after  State  takes  its  place  beside  its  5II0W  in  the  Union.  Territory  is 
acquired  by  peaceful  purchase  from  France  (of  Louisiana)  and  from  Spain  (of 
Florida).  Te.xas  gravitates  to  us  by  the  fortunes  of  war,  and  the  golden 
land,  with  Arizona  and  New  Mexico,  are  wrested  from  a  sister  republic  by 
the  force  of  arms  and  by  purchase. 

The  strong  arm  of  the  nation  has  proved  its  power  in  subduing  the 
Indians  and  bringing  the  insubordiuiate  citizens  to  bow  to  rightful  authority. 
The  republic  has,  by  the  providence  of  God,  taken  a  foremost  place  among 
the  powers  of  the  world,  and  with  an  enlightenment  and  liberalism  unknown 
before  has  spread  her  broad  arms  to  the  nations  and  welcomed  the  oppressed 
of  every  clime  and  race  to  her  "  asylum  of  the  free." 

Freedom,  civil  and  religious,  was  proclaimed,  in  theory,  at  least,  through 
all  the  land.  And  thus,  as  we  have  hastily  sketched,  a  nation  of  patriots  had 
conquered  their  independence  and  had  laid  the  foundation  of  the  best  gov- 
ernment the  world  has  ever  seen.  They  had  developed  into  a  powerful 
people,  prosperous  at  home  and  respected  abroad.  This  prosperity  they  had 
earned  by  their  industry;  this  respect  they  had  won  by  their  swords  from 
unwilling  lips.  For,  while  the  bitterest  hatred  of  old  dynasties  in  the  Eastern 
World  still  lay  smouldering,  ill-conceakd  beneath  their  pretended  friendliness,, 
they  only  dared  to  flatter  the  rising  power  they  so  intensely  hated.  All  the 
peoples  of  the  Old  World  were  looking  on  in  amazement  to  see  this  experi 
ment  of  popular  government  prove  so  successful  as  it  did.  Sister  republics 
sprang  up  in  the  New  World  modeled  upon  our  Constitution.  The  trembling 
monarchies  of  Europe  felt  the  moral  force  of  such  a  fact  in  history  as  "  the 
United  States  of  America"  came  to  be,  and  they  all  desired  our  destruction 
while  they  feared  the  power  of  our  example,  for  the  masses  in  every  country 
where  a  general  intelligence  prevailed  had  caught  the  spirit  of  liberty  borne 


!  i 


,1        r 

■ 

i  ; 
j  1 

'■ 

i  <",    1 

^/iM' 


'l^l 


Tj<6 


*K, 


,  <■■■■  n" 


354 


OUR  NATION: 


to  them  on  every  Western  wind,  and  should  the  fact  be  established  beyond 
<|uestion  that  the  entire  people  were  capable  of  self-government  they  would 
be  most  likely  to  follow  the  example  thus  set  them.  This  caused  the  nion- 
arclis  of  Europe  to  wear  uneasy  crowns  as  they  sat  upon  their  totteriii^ 
thrones.  And  they  said,  "A  violent  internal  commotion  will  rend  this  coun- 
try asunder,  and  its  disrupted  States  will  form  rival  independencies,  and  tluis 
the  power  which  we  fear  will  ere  long  overshadow  us  will  be  destroyed." 
This  they  said  and  this  they  sincerely  hoped.  There  seemed  to  be  the  pros- 
pect of  a  speedy  realization  of  their  fond  anticipations,  for  there  had  been 
one  dark  spot  upon  our  otherwise  fair  escutcheon.  It  stood  out  bold  and 
black  and  repulsive,  and  made  us  a  by-word  to  the  nations.  _  It  was  this; 
While  we  proclaimed  universal  liberty  in  our  immortal  Declaration  of  Inde- 
pendence, there  was  at  the  same  time  within  our  own  borders  a  race  of  serfs 
cut  off  from  all  these  inalienable  rights  which  we  had  demanded  for  every 
man. 

How  to  deal  with  this  forbidding  question,  which  we  had  Inherited  from 
the  mother  country,  was  a  perplexing  one  to  our  wisest  and  best  statesmen. 
Good  men  of  all  .shades  of  political  opinion  could  not  fail  to  see  the  fearful 
cloud,  small  and  inauspicious  at  first,  but  spreading  wider  and  wider  still  wa- 
threatening  our  destruction.  The  contest  must  come  sooner  or  later.  I'olit 
ical  extremists  in  either  section  of  the  country  hastened  it  to  its  final  issiit;. 
An  appeal  to  arms,  rash  as  it  was  wicked,  was  made.  The  flag  of  our  com 
mon  country  was  insulted  and  di.sgraced,  the  authority  of  the  government 
despised  and  its  rightful  allegiance  set  aside.  Nothing  in  all  the  world  would 
give  more  satisfaction  to  the  enemies  of  civil  liberty  in  the  Eastern  continent 
than  to  see  the  rebellion  prove  a  success.  And  so  they  threw  the  whole  force 
of  their  sym])athy  and  moral  aid,  under  cover  of  a  pretended  neutrality,  on 
the  side  of  those  who  sought  to  overthrow  the  government.  In  this  they 
were  disappointed.  The  unrighteous  appeal  to  arms  was  most  disastrous  to 
those  who  made  it.  The  authority  of  the  government  was  asserted  by  the 
■overthrow  of  the  armed  rebellion.  The  strength  of  the  citizen  soldiery  which 
the  nation  could  call  into  the  field  was  appalling  to  other  nationalities.  More 
than  two  millions  of  names  were  borne  upon  the  muster  rolls  of  the  United 
States  army,  a  greater  force  than  Napoleon  could  command  in  the  height  of 
his  power.  The  grand  review  of  the  arm}-  at  the  close  of  the  war  was  a  spec 
tacle  unequaled  in  history.  One  hundretl  and  eight)-  thousand  strong,  they 
inarched  past  the  President  ami  the  generais  of  the  army,  and  that,  too,  when 


bsl' 


INTRODUCTION. 


355 


many  thousands  of  soldiers  equally  bravo,  were  scattered  throughout  the 
South.  Never  before  had  the  world  seen  such  a  sight.  But  these  men  were 
ready  to  stack  their  arms,  park  their  artillery,  and  return  to  the  avocations 
of  peace.  In  an  incredibly  short  time  they  were  disbanded;  and  to-day  you 
will  find  them  in  the  workshops,  the  fields,  the  stores,  and  all  the  marts  of 
trade  throughout  our  land,  from  its  one  extreme  to  the  other. 

Those  questions  which  were  left  to  be  solved  as  the  outgrowth  of  the 
war  are  too  new  and  too  recent  for  us  to  discuss  them  without  bias  by  our 
former  opinions.  That  ultimately  they  will  be  wrought  out  to  a  successful 
issue  is  the  hope,  yes,  the  settled  belief  of  every  man  who  recognizes  the 
truth  that  "  God  ruleth  among  the  nations  of  the  earth,"  and  "  he  maketh 
even  the  wrath  of  man  to  praise  him."  Is  there  no  design  of  Providence  in 
all  this  wonderful  history  of  the  past  and  aspect  of  the  present  ?  This  free 
hind,  extending  from  sea  to  sea,  with  no  abutting  nation  upon  either  frontier, 
capable  of  sustaining  hundreds  of  millions  of  inhabitants,  offers  now  a  home 
to  the  oppressed  of  the  world  ;  and  they  are  hastening  to  its  shores,  spreading 
over  its  wide  extent,  and  peopling  its  towns  and  villages.  The  Celtic  and 
Teutonic,  the  Anglo-Saxon  and  nis  Germanic  cousin,  the  Scandinavian  of 
Northern  Europe  and  the  child  of  sunny  France  and  Italy.  The  Asiatic  and 
tlic  African  are  beneath  a  common  flag  to-day.  The  teeming  population  of 
Europe  and  Asia  came  of  their  own  accord,  the  one  part  across  the  ocean 
which  laves  our  Eastern  shores,  and  the  other  wafted  by  the  softer  gales 
of  the  Pacific  to  the  golden  shores  of  the  west.  And  now  they  find  an  equal 
home  as  they  strike  glad  hands  across  our  free  America. 

The  dusky  sons  of  Africa  are  here  as  well.  They  came,  it  is  true,  as 
Joseph  came  to  the  land  of  Egypt,  "  whose  feet  they  hurt  with  fetters."  But, 
thank  God,  those  fetters  are  stricken  off  to-day.  Here  there  is  ample  protec- 
tion for  all  religions  alike,  the  true  and  the  false.  The  Protestant  and  the 
C.itholic,  the  Mohammedan  and  Pagan,  the  Jew  and  the  Christian  of  every 
name  are  on  an  equal  footing  before  the  law.  The  only  conflict  there  is 
between  them  is  the  conflict  of  argument  and  ideas,  and  with  a  general  diffu- 
sion of  intelligence  among  the  people  the  true  religion  has  nothing  to  fear  in 
the  unequal  contest  with  the  false.  If  America  in  the  future  will  keep  her 
ballot-box  pure  and  her  people  rightly  educated  she  need  fear  nothing  that 
that  future  has  in  store  for  her. 

The  great  duty  of  America  to-day  is  to  civilize,  to  educate  and  to  chris- 
tianize her  people.     The  first  of  these  results  will  follow  from  the  other  two 


■   1 

1 

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pa ' 

I- 'I- 

ii^f'i ,  ■ 
1^0   '  ■ 

mm '  * ! 


Wl 


•h  .-:! 


5:?    ! 


356 


OUR  NATION 


united.  God  has  sent  the  world  to  our  feet  for  us  to  cnhghten,  to  instruct, 
and  to  convert  to  him.  When  the  great  question  came  to  the  church  of 
Christ,  "How  shall  we  bring  all  men  to  a  knowledge  of  the  truth?  How 
.shall  we  send  the  light  of  a  pure  religion  to  all  the  world.''"  God  himself 
answered  it  by  sending  the  nations  to  us.  Here  they  are  to-day,  and  wc 
must  christianize  them  or  they  will  paganize  us.  The  Church  can  do  her 
great  part  in  this  work  so  long  as  the  strong  arm  of  the  Government  protects 
the  freedom  of  speech  and  disseminates  the  light  of  intelligence  to  the  masses. 
These,  then,  are  the  bold  questions  which  affect  this  common  humanity  of 
ours,  and  which  America  is  working  out  for  the  world  to-day:  freedom  of 
person  and  conscience;  universal  equality  and  the  brotherhood  of  the  race; 
the  civilization  and  redemption  of  all  men.  If  she  be  true  to  her  trust  the 
grandest  place  in  history  awaits  her,  but  if  she  prove  false,  she  will  find 
written  on  the  walls  of  her  proudest  palaces  by  the  finger  of  Deity.  "Thou 
art  weighed  in  the  balances  and  art  found  wanting.  Thy  kingdom  is  given  to 
another,"  which,  may  heaven  forbid ! 

Let  us  prize,  as  we  should,  the  blessed  inheritance  which  has  come  down 
to  us  from  the  past.  Let  us  remember  that  the  blood  of  three  generations 
cements  the  bond  which  binds  this  union  with  its  indissoluble  chain.  Tiic 
"altar  of  our  liberty  has  been  baptized  with  the  richest  and  the  noblest  blood 
which  ever  flowed  in  human  veins. 

The  patriots  of  1776,  of  18 12,  and  of  1861  have  vied  with  each  other  in 
sacrifices  for  a  common  country,  and  poured  out  their  blc  od  like  water  to 
enrich  the  soil  from  which  has  sprung  this  tree  of  liberty.  Long  may  it 
flourish,  striking  its  roots  deeper  and  deeper  still  into  the  earth ;  higher  yet 
may  it  lift  its  towering  top  into  the  heavens  as  its  branches,  outstretching  far 
and  wide,  throw  their  protection  over  all  the  land  alike.  Nor  storms,  nor 
tempests  fiercest  power  can  now  tear  up  the  giant  oak.  If  e'er  it  shall  decay, 
the  worm  which  feeds  upon  its  life  will  be  the  cause.     But  may  God  forbid. 

Let  us,  then,  swear  renewed  fidelity  to  our  institutions,  to  the  Constitu- 
tion and  the  laws  of  our  united  land.  And  with  that  stern  old  patriot, 
Andrew  Jackson,  answer  back  to  the  world,  "The  Union  must  and  shall  be 
preserved." 


•■ '  ■'"■'  g' 


-  ^}  ^ 


'    ':<>"■> 


^MT  Nation: 

^■3  fee)--) 


1  (■ 


THE  STORY  OF  ITS  PROGRESS  AND  GROWTH. 


/.;'.!;< ! 


i  • 


The  earliest  settlement  that  remained  permanent  in  the  United  States 
was  at  Jamestown.  Virginia.  Sir  Walter  Raleigh,  who  was  at  one  time  a 
great  favorite  of  Elizabeth,  the  Queen  of  England,  was  very  much  interested 
in  making  a  settlement  in  America,  and  expended  a  vast  amount  of  money  to 
forward  his  plans,  liut  his  colonies  always  failed  for  some  cause  or  another. 
Sometimes  the  colonists  would  return  in  disgust  at  the  hardships  which  they 
had  to  endure.  A  part  v)f  one  colony  was  murdered  by  the  Indians,  and 
when  help  came  nothing  but  ruins  could  be  found ;  and  one  colony  was  lost, 
and  its  fate  is  unknown  to  this  day.  At  last,  in  1606,  a  grant  was  given  by 
the  king  to  a  company  who  would  coloni/e  any  part  of  America  claimed  by 
the  English  and  trade  with  the  natives,  bnder  this  grant,  a  company  of  one 
hundred  and  five  men  set  out  for  Virginia  in  three  vessels.  One-half  of  this 
number  were  "  gentlemen  "  of  broken  fortunes;  some  were  trades-people,  and 
some  were  servants.  There  was  not  a  farmer  and  only  a  few  mechanics 
among  them.  There  was  one  man  in  this  band  who  was  a  born  hero  and 
leader, — John  Smith.  They  came  to  the  James  River  and  laid  the  foundation 
of  a  settlement,  which  they  named  Jamestown,  in  honor  of  the  king.  Here 
were  planted  the  seeds  of  the  first  settlement  that  took  root  and  flourished. 
The  colonists,  unaccustomed  to  toil,  erected  rude  homes  in  the  wilderness 
and  planted  a  little.  When  the  summer  came  they  were  attacked  by  sickness, 
and  about  one-half  of  them  died  from  disease  and  starvation ;  but  winter 
brought  them  better  climate  and  abundant  supplies  of  game  and  fish.  Smith 
set  out  to  explore  the  country,  and  was  captured  by  the  Indians.  After 
puzzling  them  for  a  time  with  the  mysteries  of  the  pocket  compass  and  the 
art  of  writing,  he  was  rescued  from  death  by  Pocahontas,  the  young  daughter 
of  the  Indian   chief,  Powhatan,  who  had  decided  to  kill  him.     WHien  Smith 


,\;  . 


;  t 


'i 


■''■'■# 


[■■■'  ■  -J 
8  >•'"'  'I 


I'.'^d 


» 1  '■ 

h  , ,  .1 
■i  i  ' 

hi 


1*^f"-H 


m: 


358 


OUR  NATION 


rctiinicd  from  his  captivity  with  tiic  savages,  he  found  his  colony  on  tlic  very 
point  of  bre:ikin^f  up.  Only  thirty-eight  were  living,  and  these  were  niakin^r 
preparations  to  leave.  But  the  return  of  their  leader  inspired  them  with  new 
hope,  and  they  resumed  their  work.  New  colonists  joined  them  from  Eng 
land,  but  they  were  of  a  cla  .s  known  as  "vagabond  gentlemen,  who  had 
packed  off  to  escape  worse  liestinies  at  home."  The  reputation  of  the  colonj- 
was  so  bad,  that  we  are  told  that  some,  rather  than  come  to  Virginia,  "chose 
to  be  hung,  r?;/^/ 7t:'<7-<'."  These  were  the  undesirable  subjects  whom  Smith 
was  obliged  to  rule  with  an  authority  that  none  dared  to  quest  on.  liut  un- 
fortunately for  the  colony.  Smith  was  obliged  to  return  to  Eiigland  to  pro- 
cure surgical  treatment  for  an  injury  caused  by  an  accidental  discharge  of 
gunpowder.  In  six  months  the  colony  was  again  reduced  to  sixty  men,  and 
were  making  ready  to  depart,  when  Lord  De  la  Warr,  their  new  governor, 
came  and  prevented  them.  Once  more  the  settlement  was  saved  on  the  very 
verge  of  dissolution. 

Years  of  quiet  growth  followed,  ar.d  a  better  class  of  emigrants  came. 
There  was  a  great  demand  for  tobacco, — a  new  plant  unknown  to  Europe 
until  Sir  Walter  Raleigh  introduced  it  into  England; — and  the  colonists 
found  it  growing  in  Virginia,  and  learned  its  cultivation  from  the  natives.  It 
was  in  extensive  use  among  the  Indians,  and  was  regarded  as  a  medicine. 
The  use  of  this  plant  spread  in  England  very  rapidly,  and  created  a  demand 
for  its  supply,  and  the  Virginians  found  it  a  most  profitable  crop  to  cultivate. 

In  the  absence  of  money,  tobacco  became  a  medium  of  exchange  among 
the  colonists.  Salaries  of  officers  and  ministers,  fines  in  churches  and  State, 
were  paid  with  it.  In  a  few  years  after  the  first  settlements,  a  representative 
government  was  established.  They  had  a  House  of  Burgesses  composed  of 
twenty-two  members,  who  were  chosen  by  the  people,  with  a  governor  sent 
out  from  England.  The  Anglican  church  was  recognized  as  the  State  churcii, 
and  the  colony  was  divided  into  parishes.  A  college  was  founded,  and  the 
Indians  v-jrc  friendly.  The  first  European  child  born  in  this  region  of 
America  was  the  daughter  of  one  of  Raleigh's  colonists,  named  Dare,  and  she- 
was  baptized  by  the  name  of  Virginia  Dare.  Pocahontas,  who  married  a 
}'oung  Englishman  named  Rolfe,  went  to  England  with  her  husband,  where 
slie  was  kindly  received  by  the  queen,  and  made  the  recipient  of  many  favors. 
She  died  at  Gravesend,  P/Iarch,  1617,  just  as  she  was  about  to  return  to 
America  with  her  husband.  She  left  an  infant  son,  from  whom  some  of  the 
best  known  families  of  Virginia  are  descended. 


I 


■'Jl 


THK  STUKV  UK  ITS  I'ROCiRKSS  AND  dROWTll. 


THE  si:ttlhmi:nt  uf  m:\v  England. 


359 


A  l.rni,K  more  tli.in  two  centuries  at;<),  the  part  of  the  United  States 
called  New  FLiigland  was  one  vast  forest,  with  here  and  there  a  little  clearinjr 
where  a  few  Indian  families  maiie  their  temporary  home,  and  raised  their 
scanty  supply  of  corn.  Hut  it  was  destined  to  become  the  abode  of  a  hardy 
and  devout  people,  who  by  their  industry  and  fruj^ality  were  to  lay  the  basis 
of  a  mighty  nation  upon  the  broad  foundation-stones  of  civil  and  religious 
liberty. 

A  noble  band  of  men  in  England  who  were  denied  the  liberty  of  worship 
which  they  desired  in  their  own  land,  resolved  to  escape  to  Holland  to  find 
the  freedom  denied  by  their  own  countrymen.  Rev.  John  Robinson,  a  wise 
and  good  man,  had  been  their  minister,  and  after  straggling  bands  of  Puritans, 
as  they  were  called,  reached  Holland,  their  pastor  joined  them.  They  re- 
mained here  eleven  years  receiving  additions,  from  time  to  time,  from  those 
who  were  anxious  to  be  free  from  religious  oppression.  Then  it  was  decided 
to  establish  a  settlement  in  America  where  they  could  be  free  to  worship 
■God. 

Enough  money  was  raised  to  equip  and  send  over  one  hundred  of  their 
number  to  the  New  World.  Two  ships  were  chartered  to  take  them  across 
the  stormy  Atlantic.  On  a  morning  in  July  this  vanguard  of  freedom,  gath- 
ered at  Delft  Haven,  on  the  river  Maese,  to  listen  to  the  praj'ers  of  their 
pastor,  and  receive  his  parting  blessing.  One  of  the  vessels  proved  unsea- 
worthy.  Another,  the  Mayfloxocr,  of  one  hundred  and  eighty  tons  burden,  bore 
one  hundred  and  two  of  them  safely  to  America. 

After  repeated  delays,  the  Mayflower  set  sail  in  the  early  part  of  Sep- 
tember, 1620,  and  after  a  long  and  stormy  voyage,  dropped  her  anchor  in  the 
waters  of  Cape  Cod  liay  on  the  i  ith  of  November  of  the  same  year.  It  ..as  a 
cold  and  barren  coast  which  met  their  view,  with  low  sand  hills  almost  devoid 
of  any  vegetation,  with  some  low  dwarf  trees. 

The  Pilgrims  went  out  to  explore,  and  finally  chose  a  spot  where  they 
decided  to  found  their  colony.  They  landed  on  the  nth  of  December  upon 
Plymouth  rock,  and  began  the  Colony  which  they  called  by  the  name  of  the 
city  in  England  which  they  had  left.  Here  they  were  in  an  unknown  wilder- 
ness, the  winter  ujjon  them,  with  scant  supplies  and  no  shelter.  But  the)- 
worked  manfully  to  build  their  little  town,  sadly  hindered  by  the  severe  cold 
and  the  death  of  their  comrades,  w  ho  fell  around  them.     They  erected  nine- 


k 


\i\ 


}'.' 


!*• 


i 

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; 

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i 

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1 

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ii'. 

'•,J:'Ji  ^' 

;/ 

111?  {■■*]' '  I     ■<  t' 


f^J 


'■■:::S. 


360 


OUR  NATION: 


tccn  houses,  surroiindccl  them  witli  ;i  palisade,  and  then  on  the  hill  tluy 
erected  a  buildinj;  which  served  tiie  double  purpose  of  a  fort  aiulachui\h. 
The  severe  winter  passed,  and  when  the  spring  came  their  numbers  had  bitn 
sadly  reduced  by  deatii ;  but  soon  the  health  and  spirits  of  the  survivois 
began  to  improve. 

The  little  band  had  signed  a  civil  compact  in  the  cabin  of  the  IMayflowrr 
before  they  landed,  in  which  they  formed  themselves  into  a  government,  and 
chose  John  Carver  as  their  governor.  They  acknowledged  King  James  as 
their  sovereign,  but  were  emphatically  a  self-governing  commonwcaltii. 
They  had  known  enough  of  the  despotism  of  Kings,  and  were  quite  sure  that 
democracy  could  not  be  any  worse,  and  they  had  faith  to  try  the  experiment. 

From  this  small  beginning  came  the  establishment  of  political  and  relig 
ious  liberty  in  America. 

For  some  years,  the  difficulties  which  beset  the  infant  colonists  were  well- 
nigh  insurmountable,  but  their  faith  failed  not,  and  after  a  time  prosperity 
came  to  them.  Each  summer  new  additions  were  made  to  their  number,  of 
men  and  women  who  had  caught  the  spirit  of  religious  freedom,  and  sougiit 
to  find  here  an  asylum  from  the  tyrannies  to  which  they  were  subject  in  tiuir 
old  homes.  Thus  New  England  became  the  place  of  refuge  to  many  of  the 
wearied  victims  of  persecution,  and  seemed  a  paradise  to  those  who  were 
denied  the  right  to  worship  God  according  to  the  dictates  of  conscience. 

The  men  were  stout  of  heart  and  patient  in  toil,  and  their  industry  and 
labor  brought  thein  comfort.  They  were  simple  in  manners  and  plain  in 
dress;  their  wants  were  few  and  these  were  supplied  by  the  harvests  of  the 
autumn,  by  their  success  in  hunting  and  fishing  and  by  the  flocks  they  raised. 
The  women  carded,  spun  and  wove  the  wool.  The  men  felled  the  forests  ,uid 
built  houses  and  vessels,  erected  cities  and  formed  new  towns  in  the  woods. 
The  ships  they  built  crossed  the  ocean  and  carried  their  freights  of  timber, 
fish  and  furs.  Commerce  sprung  up  and  prosperity  smiled  upon  the  settlers. 
They  early  made  friends  with  the  Indians;  and  one  of  the  most  pleasant 
episodes  in  the  early  days  of  the  Colony  was  the  visit  and  friendly  aid  of 
Massasoit,  a  Sachem  'who  lived  at  Swansey,  now  Warren,  Rhode  Island. 

He  came  with  his  brother  and  sixty  warriors  to  the  little  settlement  in 
March,  162 1,  the  spring  which  followed  the  first  severe  winter  in  the  new 
world.  He  made  a  league  of  friendship  with  the  English,  and  for  forty  years 
was  their  staunch  friend  and  protector,  never  failing  them  in  all  their  dangers 
and  hardships.     His  influence  saved  the  little  band  from  destruction  I))-  the 


rill-:  STUKY  OK  ITS  l'RO(iKi:SS  AND  (iKUWTH. 


3f'" 


Narrai^'aiiscts.  Two  years  after  his  visit  the  old  chief  was  taken  very  sick, 
and  would  have  died  if  the  governor  had  not  sent  him  Mr.  Winslow,  wlio  used 
simple  remedies  which  effected  a  cure;  and  in  his  ^reat  joy  and  jjratitude  he 
said,  "Now  I  see  that  the  ICn^lish  are  my  friends  and  love  me,  and  while  I 
live  I  will  never  forget  the  kindness  they  have  shown  me."  The  kimlness  of 
tills  Indian  was  of  gre  .t  value  to  the  Colony  as  lotij;  as  he  lived,  and  he  was 
Iiils'hly  respected  by  them. 

The  Colonists  of  New  England  paid  great  attention  to  the  subject  of 
education,  believing  that  it  was  of  vital  importance  to  the  preservation  of  the 
State  and  Church.  In  a  few  years  schools  began  to  appear,  and  a  law  was 
passed  that  every  town  of  fifty  freeholders  should  maintain  a  common  school, 
aiui  every  town  of  one  hundred  must  sustain  a  grammar  school.  Some 
tolerably  qualified  brother  was  chosen  and  "  entreated  to  bocome  school- 
master." Harvard  College  was  established  within  sixteen  years  after  the 
I'ilgrim  fathers  landed  at  Plymouth. 

Twenty-three  years  after  the  landing,  there  were  twenty-four  thousand 
white  people  in  New  England.  There  were  forty-nine  towns,  and  four 
Colonies,  namely,  Plymouth,  Massachusetts,  Connecticut  and  New  Haven. 
There  seemed  at  first  a  desire  to  scatter  widely,  push  out  into  the  wilderness, 
form  new  settlements,  and  set  up  self-government,  each  for  itself.  But  this 
separation  could  not  long  exist,  for  there  were  other  human  beings  in  the 
wilderness  beside  the '  white  settlers,  and  these  had  a  prior  claim  there. 
Within  calling  distance  there  were  Indians  enough  when  aroused  and  com- 
bined to  drive  out  all  the  colonists.  And  beyond  the  frontiers  were  French 
and  Dutch  settlements.  So  it  came  to  pass  that  the  four  Colonies  were 
forced  tn  fo.m  themselves  for  mutual  j)rotection  and  encouragement,  into  a 
band  called  "  The  United  Colonies  of  New  England."  This  was  the  i^rst 
confederation  in  a  land  which  was  destined  afterwards  to  establish  this  form 
of  government  on  a  scale  the  world  had  never  seen  before.  Nor  was  this 
done  any  too  soon,  for  there  were  troublous  times  to  come,  and  these  earnest, 
Gi)d-fearing  men  found  that  they  would  need  all  the  strength  which  a  united 
assistance  and  a  common  bond  would  bring. 

Massasoit  was  dead,  and  all  the  efforts  of  the  English  to  Christianize  and 
civilize  the  natives  had  produced  but  little  effect. 


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362 


OUR  NATION 


THE    INDIAN   WAR. 


The  great  Indian  Apostle,  Rev.  John  Eliot,  was  the  pastor  of  the  church 
at  Roxbury  near  Boston.  He  was  moved  by  pity  to  carry  the  Gospel  to  the 
tribes  around  him,  and  for  this  purpose  he  learned  their  langu.ige,  and  trans- 
lated the  Bible  by  means  of  an  alphabet  of  his  own.  He  preached  to  them 
in  their  own  tongue,  and  many  became  converts.  He  even  attempted  to 
establish  a  college  for  the  Indian  youth,  but  was  obliged  to  abandon  this 
undertaking  on  account  of  their  natural  love  of  idleness  and  strong  drink. 
They  would  not  work.  They  could  indeed  be  taught  to  rest  on  the  Sabbath, 
but  they  would  not  labor  on  the  other  six  days.  This  was  a  great  cause  of 
hindrance,  but  in  spite  of  the  general  discouragement,  there  were  many  noble 
exceptions,  and  the  hold  which  Christianity  took  upon  those  who  accepted  it 
was  never  wholly  lost.  In  the  Indian  wars  which  arose,  the  converts  were 
never  found  fighting  against  the  English,  but  usually  united  in  aiding  them. 

At  length  came  the  short  but  bitter  war  with  King  Philip,  the  younger  son 
of  the  old  chief,  Massasoit,  the  friend  of  the  colonies.  Even  his  enemies  will 
acknowledge  that  this  savage  chief  was  a  hero.  The  noble  old  Sachem,  who 
had  been  faithful  to  his  early  friendship  with  the  English,  had  two  sons,  whom 
Governor  Winslow  had  named  Alexander  and  Philip.  Alexander  had  suc- 
ceeded his  father,  but  had  died,  and  Philip  had  become  chief  and  Sachem. 
He  was  noble-hearted,  patriotic,  and  filled  with  good  sense.  He  was  a  states- 
man as  well  as  a  warrior,  and  at  first  was  friendly  to  the  settlers.  But  he  saw 
that  the  whites  were  crowding  year  by  year  upon  his  domain ;  still  he  kept 
the  treaties  which  his  father  had  made,  and  even  submitted  to  grave  insults 
from  the  white  men.  There  came  a  time  when  he  could  endure  this  no 
longer,  and  he  arose  in  war  against  them.  The  war  spread  throughout  New 
England,  and  the  colonies  of  Plymouth  and  Massachusetts  united  to  meet 
them.  In  a  week  the  Indian  chief  was  driven  out  of  his  beautiful  home  on 
Mount  Hope,  Rhode  Island,  and  went  a  fugitive  to  other  tribes,  arousing 
them  to  vengeance:.  The  whites  thought  the  war  was  over,  but  it  had  just 
begun.  The  powerful  tribes  of  the  Narragansets  joined  in  the  war.  The 
Indians  avoided  the  white  troops,  and  carried  on  the  warfare,  after  their 
savage  fashion,  by  plundering  towns  and  villages,  and  killing  defenseless 
women  and  children.  Whole  villages  were  wiped  out,  and  no  one  could  feel 
safe.  The  fields,  the  homes,  the  churches,  the  very  beds  of  the  poor  colonists 
were  liable  to  be  attackLt!  without  warning,  and  a  general  massacre  of  all  was 


THE  STORY  OF  ITS  PROGRESS  AND  GROWTH. 


363 


threatened.  Out  of  one  hundred  towns  twelve  were  entirely  destroyed,  and 
more  than  forty  others  were  more  or  less  plundered.  Josiah  Winslow, 
Gcneral-in-chief  of  the  united  colonies,  with  a  brave  band  of  settlers,  captured 
the  principal  fort  of  the  Narragansets,  which  stood  where  South  Kingston, 
Rhode  Island,  now  is,  and  destroyed  it.  Their  chief,  Canonchet,  was  soon 
afterwards  taken,  and  offered  his  life  if  he  would  submit;  but  he  proudly 
refused.  When  he  was  condemned  to  death,  he  said,  "  I  like  it  well ;  I  shall 
die  before  I  speak  anything  unworthy  of  myself." 

The  close  of  1676  brought  an  end  to  the  war;  King  Philip  saw  that  he 
could  not  prevent  the  other  tribes  from  making  peace,  and  the  most  of  his 
own  warriors  had  fallen.  When  he  heard  that  his  wife  and  child  had  been 
taken  by  the  English,  he  exclaimed  in  his  anguish,  "  My  heart  breaks;  now  I 
am  ready  to  die." 

He  was  shot  in  a  swamp  by  a  traitor  Indian,  and  his  body  was  given  to 
Captain  Church,  the  famous  Indian  fighter  and  commander  of  a  party  pursu- 
ing Philip  and  his  warriors.  According  to  custom,  the  head  of  Philip  was 
severed  from  his  body,  and  carried  on  a  pole  to  Plymouth,  where  it  was  set 
up  in  sight  of  the  people  for  a  number  of  days.  The  body  was  quartered  and 
hung  on  trees.  In  this  way  did  the  New  England  colonists  retaliate  upon 
the  Indian  warrior  and  statesman,  who  labored  and  fought  for  the  rights  of 
his  tribe.  There  were  now  scarcely  one  hundred  of  the  Narragansets  left, 
and  Philip's  son,  who,  with  his  mother,  had  been  made  a  prisoner  before  his 
father's  death,  the  sole  survivor  of  the  family  of  Massasoit,  was  carried  to 
Hermuda  and  sold  into  slavery. 

Annawon  was  the  next  in  command  over  the  Indian  forces  after  the 
death  of  Philip,  and  the  same  captain,  Benjamin  Church,  who  had  taken  the 
head  of  the  king  to  Plymouth,  was  sent  to  capture  him.  Church  became 
separated  from  his  company,  and  had  only  one  white  man  and  five  friendly 
Indians  when  he  heard  where  Annawon  and  his  band  of  fifty  warriors  were 
encamped.  These  men  succeeded  in  surprising  the  chief,  and  taking  him  a 
captive  to  Boston,  where  he  was  put  to  death  by  the  English,  after  he  had 
snrrendered  all  the  roj-al  emblems  of  Philip.  The  white  people  had  no  ex- 
cuse for  this  act  of  wanton  cruelty. 


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364 


OUR  NATION: 


SETTLEMENT   OF   NEW  YORK. 


Hendrick  Hudson,  an  explorer  in  the  employ  of  the  Dutch,  had  dis- 
covered ami  sailed  up  the  river  which  bears  his  name,  in  the  year  1609. 
Three  or  four  years  after  the  Pilgrims  had  landed  at  Plymouth,  the  Di:tch 
West  India  Company  resolved  to  establish  a  trading  post  with  the  Indians. 
They  sent  out  a  settlement  in  1623,  which  located  on  Manhattan  island  at  the 
mouth  of  the  (present)  Hudson  River,  and  built  a  town  which  was  afterwards 
called  New  Amsterdam.  They  prospered  until  they  became  involved  in  war 
with  the  Indians,  when,  at  times,  the  colony  appeared  on  the  brink  of  ruin. 
They  built  a  wooden  wall  or  palisade  across  the  island  where  Wall  Street  is  now 
situated.  The  war  came  to  an  end,  and  for  eighteen  years  afterwards  there 
was  a  time  of  peace  and  prosperity  under  the  government  of  a  wise  and 
sagacious  man,  Peter  Stuyvesant,  While  his  government  was  not  faultless, 
the  province  flourished  under  it,  and  a  continued  flow  of  emigration  came  in 
from  Europe.  In  the  year  1664,  an  English  fleet  appeared  in  the  harbor  to 
demand  the  territory  in  the  name  of  their  sovereign.  Charles  II.  had  given 
his  brother,  James,  Duke  of  York,  the  whole  of  the  territory  of  New  Nether 
lands  embracing  New  Jersey. 

Stuyvesant  was  willing  to  fight  the  invaciers,  but  the  English  settlers 
would  not  fight  against  their  king,  and  the  Dutch,  who  remembered  some  of 
the  petty  tyrannies  of  their  governor,  would  not  join  him.  At  length  he 
yielded  to  the  entreaties  of  two  ministers  and  many  of  the  people,  and  the 
city  of  fifteen  hundred  inhabitants  quietly  passed  into  the  hands  of  the 
English,  when  its  name  was  changed  to  New  York.  With  this  city  the 
Dutch  also  gave  up  their  settlements  in  New  Jersey,  including  those  made 
by  the  Swedes,  which  they  had  absorbed,  and  so  the  English  had  possession 
of  the  Atlantic  coast  from  Massachusetts  Kay  to  Georgia. 

THE   LAND   OF   PENN. 

William  Penn,  the  son  of  an  English  admiral,  who  had  won  many 
noted  victories  for  the  Crown,  became  a  Quaker,  to  the  disappointment  of  his 
friends,  just  at  the  time  when  a  brilliant  future  was  spread  out  before  him. 
At  first  the  father  was  furious  and  turned  his  son  out  of  doors,  hoping  that 
hunger  would  soon  cause  him  to  recant ;  but  the  admiral  finally  relented  and 
restored  him  to  favor.     When  his  father  died,  soon  after  the  reQonciliation, 


THE  STORY  OF  ITS  PROGRESS  AND  GROWTH. 


365 


young  Pent!  inherited  his  possessions,  and  among  the  rest  a  claim  for  $80,000 
due  the  admiral  from  the  king.     Penn,  who  had  formed  in  his  mind  a  design 
to  establish  a  settlement  in  America  for  the  persecuted  members  of  his  own 
sect,  offered  to  take  payment  of  the  king  in  land ;   and  Charles  was  ready 
enough  to  bestow  upon  his  subject  a  vast  region  stretching  westward  from 
the  Delaware  River.     Penn  then  came  to  America  with  the  noble  purpose  of 
founding  a  free  and  self-governing  State,  where,  as  he  said,  he  could  show 
men  as  free  and  "  as  happy  as  they  can  be."     He  proclaimed  to  the  men  who 
were  already  settled  within  his  territory,  "  Whatever  sober  and  free  men  can 
reasonably  desire,  I  will  comply  with."     He  was  true  to  his  word ;  and  when 
in  1683,  he  met  representatives  of  the  settlers,  in  an  Assembly,  he  gave  to  the 
people  a  "  Charter  of  Liberties,"  signed  and  sealed  by  his  own  hand.     He 
had  also  dealt  honorably  and  kindly  with  the  Indians,  and  bought  their  lands 
of  them,  and  in  return  they  respected  and  loved  him.     The  conference  with 
the  natives  was  held  under  a  large  elm  which  stood  in  the  forest  where  Phila- 
delphia now  is,  and  a  monument  marked  the  spot  for  fully  two  centuries. 
All  was  to  be  "  openness  and  love,"  and  "  no  advantage  was  to  be  taken  on 
either  side."     For  long  years  the  Indians  recounted  the  words  of  Penn  ;   and 
the  blood  of  a  yuaker  was  never  shed  by  an  Indian  on  the  soil  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. 

The  fame  of  Penn's  new  State  went  abroad  to  all  lands,  and  it  grew  very 
rapidly  with  grave  and  God-fearing  men,  who  came  from  all  parts  of  Europe. 
During  the  first  year,  two  thousand  persons  arrived,  and  Philadelphia  became 
a  town  of  six  hundred  houses.  A  few  years  later  Penn  returned  to  England, 
and  reported  that  "things  went  on  sweetly  with  the  Friends  in  Pennsylvania; 
that  they  increased  finely,  in  outward  things  and  in  wisdom." 

The  settlement  of  Pennsylvania  was  founded  in  1682. 

SETTLEMENTS   IN   THE   OTHER   COLONIES. 

The  thirteen  original  States  were  Virginia,  Massachusetts,  Connecticut, 
Rhode  Island,  New  Hampshire,  Delaware,  Maryland,  Pennsylvania,  New  York, 
New  Jersey,  North  Carolina,  South  Carolina,  and  Georgia. 

Connecticut  was  settled  by  men  and  women  from  Massachusetts,  in  two 
colonies.  One  came  through  the  wilderness  and  settled  at  Windsor  above 
Hartford;  the  other  came  by  water  and  settled  at  New  Haven. 

Rhode  Island  was  settled  by  Roger  Williams,  a  minister  of  Salem,  who, 


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366 


OUR  NATION: 


by  his  outspoken  opinions  about  "  soul  liberty "  had  offended  clergy  and 
magistrates.  He  declared  that  the  State  had  to  do  only  with  the  "  bodies 
and  goods  and  outward  estates"  of  men.  In  the  domain  of  conscience  God 
alone  was  the  ruler.  He  was  banished  and  went  to  the  wilderness,  where  he 
obtained  a  grant  of  land  from  the  Indians  and  laid  the  foundation  of  the 
State  of  Rhode  Island.  He  founded  the  city  of  Providence  and  proclaimed 
that  his  settlement  was  to  become  a  "  shelter  for  persons  distressed  for  con- 
science sake."     And  so  has  it  ever  been. 

New  Hampshire  was  settled  by  colonists  from  Massachusetts,  of  which  it 
was  a  part  from  1 641  to  1679. 

Delaware  was  so  named  in  honor  of  Lord  De  la  Warr,  who  came  to  Vir- 
ginia as  governor,  in  161 1,  and  gave  great  relief  to  the  settlers  at  Jamestown, 
who  were  about  to  abandon  it.  It  was  first  settled  by  Swedes,  in  1637,  but 
passed  into  the  hands  of  the  Dutch,  in  1655.  Penn  afterward  obtained  pos- 
session of  it,  when  it  was  annexed  to  Pennsylvania.  It  was  returned  to  its 
former  condition  of  a  separate  colony,  in  1703. 

Maryland  was  first  the  recipient  of  intended  settlers  in  1 731,  by  a  band 
of  adventurers  from  Virginia  under  William  Clayborne.  In  1632,  Lord  Balti- 
more received  a  charter  from  the  King,  making  it  a  distinct  province,  when  it 
was  named  "  Maryland  "  in  honor  of  the  Queen. 

New  Jersey  was  first  settled  by  the  Dutch,  in  1620,  and  by  the  Swedes 
and  Danes  in  1637.  It  afterwards  passed  into  the  hands  of  the  English, 
when  they  took  possession  of  New  Netherland  (New  York)  in  1664. 

North  Carolina  was  permanently  settled  under  a  grant  from  King  Charles 
II.,  in  1663.  John  Locke,  the  metaphysician,  and  the  Earl  of  Shaftesbury, 
prepared  a  "  fundamental  Constitution  for  the  two  Carolina  colonies,"  aristo- 
cratic in  every  feature,  but  it  was  never  accepted  by  the  American  settlers, 
and  after  many  years  it  was  abandoned. 

South  Carolina  received  its  fi-st  well-defined  settlement  in  1670,  when  Sir 
William  Sayle  and  a  company  of  adventurers,  under  a  charter  from  Charles 
II.,  planted  a  colony  on  the  shores  of  Port  Royal  Soi'nd.  In  1680,  English 
families  settled  at  Oyster  Point,  where   they  founded  the  city  of  Charleston. 

Georgia  was  the  latest  of  the  colonies  thai  formed  the  original  Union, 
and  the  farthest  south  of  any  of  the  English  possessions  in  America  chirinf^ 
the  time  of  colonial  history.  It  was  setled  in  1733,  when  General  Oglethrrpe 
founded  the  city  of  Savannah.  He  obtained  a  charter  from  George  II.  of 
all  the  land  between  the  Savannah  River  and  the  Altamaha,  extending  west- 


1  -   ! 


THE  STORY  OF  ITS  PROGRESS  AND  GROWTH. 


367 


•ward  to  the  Pacific  Ocean.  It  was  designed  i:liiefly  as  an  asylum  for  bettering 
the  condition  of  English  prisoners  for  debt,  and  for  a  refuge  from  persecution 
of  Protestants  in  Germany  and  elsewhere.  Parliament  appropriated  $160,000 
for  the  enterprise.  In  1733,  General  Oglethorpe,  at  the  head  of  120  emi- 
grants, planted  the  seeds  of  a  colony  on  the  site  of  the  city  of  Savannah. 
The  next  year  a  hundred  Germans  came  and  were  assigned  a  place,  which 
they  in  gratitude  named  Ebenezer.  They  were  steady  and  industrious,  and 
some  of  them  eagerly  applied  themselves  to  the  raising  of  silk  and  indigo. 
The  fame  of  the  colony  spread  through  Europe  and  attracted  large  numbers. 
Thus  was  planted  on  the  eastern  shore  of  the  continent  a  chain  of  Englislv 
colonies  lik'^  a  vanguard,  which  was  in  time  to  conquer  the  wilderness  and  fill 
the  land  with  busy  towns  and  thriving  villages.  The  hum  of  machinery  was 
to  be  heard  along  its  water-courses.  Its  'ills  were  to  resound  to  the  whistle 
of  the  shop  and  locomotive.  The  wharves  of  its  cities  were  to  be  crowded 
with  commerce  from  all  parts  of  the  world,  and  a  stream  of  emigration  was 
to  pour  in  from  all  the  crowded  nations  of  the  East,  and  an  empire  would  be 
erected  upon  the  foundation  which  these  feeble  colonies  were  laying.  Each 
distinct,  with  no  common  bond  but  the  slight  allegiance  to  a  distant  sover- 
eign, they  were  to  become  united  in  one  mighty  compact,  and  together  give 
the  world  its  highest  example  of  a  free  government  of  the  people  and  for  the 
people.  These  earnest  men  builded  better  than  they  knew,  and  shaped  the 
destinies  of  the  unborn  millions  who  should  come  after  them. 


!  i  i  iV.' 


■•■■:)i} 


m-^ 


!  1,1-, 


THE   COLONIAL   PERIOD. 

After  the  establishment  of  the  colonics  which  stretched  along  the  Atlan- 
tic coast  from  the  Penobscot  to  the  Altama  a,  and  owned  allegiance  to  the 
English  king,  there  came  a  period  of  formation  and  growth  in  which  they 
developed  their  natural  resources  and  established  their  commerce,  built  col- 
leges and  seminaries,  and  grew  in  all  things  which  increased  their  prosperity 
and  strength.  The  Indian  tribes  were  subdued,  the  forests  were  cleared  and 
cities  and  towns  sprang  uj)  as  if  by  magic.  Manufactories  were  built  and 
aj^riculture  was  flourishing.  The  colonies  were  left  alone  by  the  home  gov- 
ernment and  allo\ved  to  direct  their  own  affairs.  In  some  cases  a  governor 
was  sent  from  England  to  rule  the  colony,  but  the  laws  were  enacted  by 
representatives  chosen  by  the  people.  In  others  the  people  had  the  right  to 
elect  their  own  governors.     Thcj-  regulated  their  own  commerce  and  inter- 


•("!* 


'V  <i 


1 


■  ji  ■« '   11'' 


^•i 


,  ;  (■ 


§L 


fS 


1  '.i^ 


i;i 


'4- 


■  :'^p 


V  .i.<C.il' 


368 


OUR  NATION: 


nal  trade  and  directed  their  own  taxation  and  system  of  religion  and  edu- 
cation. 

VVc  will  take  a  hasty  glance  at  the  condition  of  each  colony  during  this 
period. 

In  New  England  we  will  find  some  things  that  may  surprise  us.  The 
early  settlers  had  been  a  religious,  sensible  people,  but  when  they  left  Europe 
there  was  a  universal  belief  in  witchcraft.  King  James  had  written  a  strange 
book  on  Demonology,  in  which  he  said  that  to  forbear  to  put  witches  to 
death  was  an  "  odious  treason  against  God,"  and  the  people  were  no  wiser 
than  their  king. 

The  superstition  spread  to  America,  or  was  brought  thither  by  the  ship- 
loads of  emigrants  who  were  flocking  over  the  sea  to  find  a  home  here.  All 
at  once  it  burst  out  like  a  fearful  scourge  in  the  little  town  of  Salem,  Massa- 
chusetts, now  a  fine  city. 

There  was  here  a  minister  by  the  name  of  Parris.  Ihe  daughter  and  the 
niece  of  this  clergyman  fell  ill  of  a  strange  nervous  disorder.  The  doctors 
claimed  that  they  were  bewitched,  and  the  minister  set  out  at  once  to  find  out 
-who  were  the  offenders.  Three  old  women  were  suspected,  and  taken  into 
custody.  From  this  the  mania  spread,  and  every  one  became  alarmed  and 
suspicious.  No  one  was  safe.  Witches  were  supposed  to  ride  in  the  air  at 
night.  Even  the  beasts  were  not  safe ;  and  once  a  dog  was  solemnly  con- 
jdemned  to  death  for  taking  some  part  in  a  satanic  festival. 

The  prisons  were  filled  with  the  accused,  and  a  score  of  persons  were 
put  to  death.  The  town  of  Falmouth  hanged  its  minister;  and  the  wise  and 
intelligent  were  no  more  secure  than  the  low  and  ignorant.  The  wild  panic 
lasted  for  more  than  six  months.  Those  who  confessed  that  they  were  wiz- 
ards or  witches  were  set  free  for  the  most  part,  while  those  who  denied  it 
"Were  judged  guilty  and  punished.  Many  refused  to  buy  their  life  by  false- 
hood and  miserably  perished.  The  delusion  spread  wide  like  a  forest  fire, 
until  the  whole  colony  was  filled  with  terror.  But  the  reaction  came  as 
suddenly  as  the  outbreak  of  the  mania.  The  Governor  put  an  end  to  the 
persecution,  stopped  the  prosecutions,  dismissed  all  the  suspected,  and  par- 
doned the  condemned ;  and  the  General  Court  proclaimed  a  fast.  They  en- 
treated that  God  would  pardon  the  errors  of  the  people  "  in  the  late  tragedy 
caused  by  Satan  and  his  instruments."  One  of  the  judges  with  bowed  head 
stood  in  his  pew  in  a  church  in  Boston  while  a  paper  was  read  asking  the 
prayers  of  the  congregation,  that  the  innocent  blood  which  he  had  shed  in 


■m 


U     •:, 


THE  STORY  OF  ITS  PROGRESS  AND  GROWTH. 


369 


error  might  not  be  laid  to  him  or  the  country.  The  Salem  jury  asked  for- 
giveness of  God  and  of  the  community  for  what  they  had  done  under  the 
power  of  a  strong  and  general  delusion.  Reverend  Mr.  Parris  was  obliged  to 
resign  his  church  and  leave  the  town  a  broken  man.  The  error  of  New  Eng- 
land had  been  great  and  lamentable,  but  her  repentance  was  deep  and  sincere. 
Strange  as  was  this  widespread  delusion,  there  is  another  chapter  in  colonial 
history  none  the  less  strange.  The  very  men  who  had  c^me  across  the  ocean 
to  find  religious  liberty,  in  their  turn  became  persecutors  and  bigots.  They 
had  discovered  that  the  restraints  laid  upon  them  for  conscience'  sake  were- 
unjust  and  grievous,  and  while  they  claimed  toleration  for  themselves  they 
l„id  not  learned  that  others  had  as  good  a  right  to  think  for  themselves. 

After  enjoying  a  few  years  of  religious  liberty  there  began  to  arise  strange 
doctrine^;,  which  they  thought  it  their  duty  to  put  down  at  all  hazards.  Roger 
Williams,  a  young  clergyman — "  godly  and  zealous" — landed  in  Boston  in 
163 1,  with  strange  notions  which  he  had  brought  with  him.  He  had  been 
the  friend  of  John  Milton  and  taught  him  the  Dutch  language.  Long  and' 
serious  study  had  convinced  him  that  in  regard  to  creed  and  form  of  worship,, 
man  was  alone  responsible  to  his  Creator,  and  no  one  is  entitled  to  lay  com- 
pulsion upon  another  man  in  reference  to  his  religious  opinions. 

The  colonists  were  not  ready  to  receive  these  opinions,  although  Williams 
was  settled  as  a  pastor  over  the  church  in  Salem,  where  he  was  held  in  high 
esteem.  But  his  bold  preaching  drew  down  upon  him  the  wrath  of  the 
authorities,  and,  deserted  by  most  of  his  church,  he  was  banished  and  escaped 
to  the  wilderness  of  Rhode  Island  where  he  established  a  colony  for  perfect 
religious  toleration,  as  we  have  observed. 

Williams  had  a  forgiving  spirit  and  twice  saved  the  Puritan  colo'nies 
from  their  enemies.  But  they  continued  to  persecute  the  Baptists,  and  when; 
the  Quakers  came  to  Boston  the  General  Court  proclaimed  a  fast,  and  cast 
them  into  prison.  Their  books  were  burned  by  the  common  hangman,  and! 
shipmasters  were  forbidden  to  bring  any  Quakers  into  the  colony.  They 
were  publicly  whipped  through  the  streets  of  Boston,  tied  to  carts,  and  were 
banished  under  penalty  of  death  if  they  returned.  Four  persons  suffered 
death;  others  were  long  imprisoned.  The  Quakers  had  friends  at  home,  and 
in  1661  a  lett-er  came  in  the  king's  name  directing  that  the  authorities  in  New 
England  should  forbear  to  proceed  farther  a;4ainst  the  Quakers.  The  letter 
came  by  the  hand  of  a  Quaker  who  was  under  sentence  of  death  if  he  returned. 


1  .     '  ■ 

'■■' , 

■     i      ■    J*'    1 

\A> 

\''.  !  'U 

tl   r.' 

I'M 
-1     Jl 

■ :  ;  ' ' 

.  1     ',  ii  ■' 

iiJi! 

*        :    . :  V 

■  1   : 

1 

"     :       '       :    t 

i  '  *i  1  1 

1 1:5  J 


i,;  1 


'i.!l 


\,.Ui 


370 


OUR  NATION 


::f /!' 


;!{ tilt    i  fi,;  , 


But  they  did  not   dare  to  do  otherwise  than  respect  it.     With  this  closed  the 
iTiost  shameful  chapter  in  the  history  of  New  Enj^Iand. 

A  writer  on  the  history  of  these  times  offers  the  following  excuse  for  tlio 
persecution  of  this  peaceful  sect:  "But,  in  justice  to  New  England,  it  must 
be  told  that  the  first  generation  of  Quakers  differed  extremely  from  succciil- 
ing  generations.  They  were  a  fanatical  i)eople, — extravagant,  intempL-iaiL' 
in  speech,  rejectors  of  lawful  authority.  They  believed  themselves  guided  Ijy 
an  'inner  light,'  which  habitually  placed  them  at  variance  with  the  laws  and 
customs  of  the  country  in  which  they  lived.  George  Fox  declared  that  '  the 
Lord  forbade  him  to  put  off  his  ha't  to  any  man.'  His  followers  were  provok- 
ingly  aggressive.     They  in  -"' f  ;^lic  worship.     They  openly  expressed  their 

contempt  for  the  religion  c.  their  ('C'';^hbors.  They  perpetually  came  with 
*  messages  from  the  Lord,'  which  \\\..c  not  pleasant  to  listen  to.  They 
appeared  in  public  places  very  imperfectly  attired,  thus  symbolically  to 
express  and  to  rebuke  the  spiritual  nakedness  of  the  time.  The  second  gen- 
eration of  New  England  Quakers  were  people  of  beautiful  lives,  spiritual- 
minded,  hospitable,  and  just.  When  their  /.eal  allied  itself  with  discretion, 
they  became  a  most  valuable  element  in  American  society.  They  haxc 
firmly  resisted  all  social  evils.  But  we  can  scarcely  wonder  that  they  created 
alarm  at  first.  The  men  of  New  England  took  a  very  simple  view  of  tlic 
subject.  They  had  bought  and  paid  for  every  acre  of  soil  which  they  occu- 
pied. Their  country  was  a  homestead  from  which  they  might  exclude  whom 
they  chose.  They  would  not  receive  men  whose  object  seemed  to  be  to  over- 
throw fhcir  customs,  civil  and  religious.  It  was  a  mistake,  but  a  most  natural 
mistake.  Long  afterwards,  when  New  England  saw  her  error,  she  made  what 
amends  she  could  by  giving  compensation  to  the  representatives  of  those 
Quakers  who  had  suffered  in  the  evil  times." 

THE   GROWTH   AND   GOVERNMENT  OF   THE   COLONIES. 

At  the  first  there  was  some  diversity  in  the  form  of  government  in  the 
different  colonies,  but  as  time  passed  on  this  lessened,  and  one  general  type 
came  to  be  in  force  in  them  all.  The  governor  was  appointed  by  the  king,  and 
he  had  to  depend  upon  the  assembly  of  representatives  chosen  from  the 
people,  for  the  moneys  needed  to  carry  on  the  government  and  execute  its 
laws.  .So  as  the  time  of  separation  drew  near  the  governors  found  their 
powers  very  '"nuch  circumscribed  by  the  hea\y  pressure  which  the  Assembly 


THE  STORY  OF  ITS  PROGRESS  AND  GROWTH. 


371 


brought  to  bear  upon  thcni.  When  the  governor  as  tlie  king's  representative 
liad  a  falling  out  with  tlie  popuhir  will  as  expressed  by  the  representatives  of 
tlic  Commonwealth,  the  latter  assumed  the  whole  busrness  of  government. 
The  people  were,  in  fact,  self-governing,  who  felt  a  pride  in  their  connection 
with  the  m  ther  country,  but  if  their  gove.-nors  encroached  too  much  upon 
their  rights,  tney  were  ready  to  resist  them  to  the  utmost.  Virginia  had  two 
councils  at  first,  one  appointed  by  the  king,  and  the  other  elected  by  the 
colonists,  but  both  were  under  control  of  the  king.  In  a  few  years  the  rep- 
resentative  system  prevailed,  but  the  governor  retained  the  power  of  veto. 
She  was  more  closely  allied  to  the  Crown  than  the  more  northern  colonies, 
and  remained  loyal  to  the  Stuarts.  Virginia  refused  to  recognize  the  Pro- 
tector, Oliver  Cromwell.  Refugees  from  England  were  gladly  received  in 
Virginia  during  these  troublous  times,  and  when  the  Stuarts  were  returned 
to  power,  her  then  ruling  class  rejoiced. 

On  the  other  hand  the  colonists  of  New  England  had  rome  ..  America 
to  get  rid  of  kingly  rule,  and  were  of  a  different  spirit  and  temper.  In  the 
little  cabin  of  the  Mayflower  they  had  signed  their  compact  of  government 
and  selected  their  own  governor.  Every  member  of  the  church  was  an  elec- 
tor, and  could  hold  ofifice.  This  democratic  form  of  gc  rnment  continued 
for  sixty  years,  until  the  despotic  James  II.  took  it  away  and  appointed  a 
governor  of  his  own  choosing.  They  cordially  supported  Cromwell,  and 
hesitated  for  two  years  after  the  restoration  of  Charles  II.  before  they  recog- 
nized him  as  their  king.  These  colonies  were  the  most  democratic  and  the 
least  tolerant  of  kingly  interference  of  any  of  the  colonies  in  the  New  World. 
New  York,  which  had  been  given  to  the  Duke  of  York,  had  its  governor 
appointed  by  him.  Pennsylvania  was  bestowed  upon  Penn,  who  had  a  right 
to  name  its  governor.  But  at  last  all  the  colonies  came  to  receive  a  governor 
from  the  king.  Connecticut  held  out  longer  than  the  rest,  and  when  the  gov- 
ernor, appointed  by  the  king,  came  to  Hartford  to  demand  the  charter  of  the 
colony;  it  was  hidden  in  the  hollow  of  an  oak  tree,  afterward  known  as  the 
Charter  Oak. 

While  the  colonics  had  as  yet  no  thought  of  separation  from  the  Old 
Country  they  were  still  in  the  presence  of  a  common  enemy.  The  French 
had  taken  Canada  and  the  present  State  of  Louisiana,  and  thus  were  stretch- 
ing down  from  the  north,  and  up  from  the  south,  a  line  of  trading  posts  and 
settlements,  which  was  a  continual  menace  to  the  western  frontier  of  the 
English  colonies.     The  French  incited  the  Indians  to  attack  the  English,  and 


\'-\  '•.  \: 


■I  .,;.;  I  1 

'3\ 


. '  ii^ 


,.  ^  '  I! 
■    ■  I'll  ' 


'it 

m 


m- 


^■"m 
"■1-I.-  iSi 


m 


,■„ 


! 


\H 


i 


§  ■< ' 


n.J] 
t  j 


r 


M 


l=f  f 

t  ■'.  -  '.' 


373 


OUR  NATION 


■l!,i 
■I 


m 


-It 


^;;l 


:i|^ 


there  were  constant  incursions  upon  the  pioneers  who  were  moving  west- 
ward from  the  coast.  Sooner  or  later  the  trial  of  strength  must  come  bet  vrt.ii 
these  rival  forces.  The  French  claimed  the  Mississippi  River  and  the  fertile 
valley  of  the  Ohio.  To  establish  this  claim,  they  sent  three  hundred  soldiers 
into  this  valley  and  buried  in  the  ground  leaden  plates  bearing  the  French 
coat  of  arms,  and  drove  out  the  scattering  English  who  had  ventured  there. 
The  English,  on  their  part,  had  given  large  grants  of  land  to  a  trading  com- 
pany, who  agreed  to  colonize  the  valley,  establish  trading  relations  with  the 
natives,  and  a  competent  military  force.  This  was  in  1749,  and  then  the  two 
nations  were  preparing  for  war.  The  home  government  left  the  colonies  to 
carry  on  the  struggle  for  themselves. 

I"  1753  the  Governor  of  Virginia  sent  a  young  man  twenty-one  years  of 
age  on  a  delicate  mission  to  the  commander  of  French  forces  on  the  head- 
waters of  the  Ohio  River.  His  name  was  George  Washington,  a  name  des- 
tined, some  years  later,  to  become  famous  over  the  whole  world.  Marching 
for  Fort  Duquesne,  with  some  Virginia  forces,  in  the  Spring  of  1754,  Wash- 
ington, then  a  major  of  militia,  met,  fought  and  defeated  a  French  force.  He 
fell  back,  and  built  a  stockade  which  he  called  Fort  Necessity.  With  rein- 
forcements he  pushed  on  toward  Fort  Duquesne,  but  was  pressed  back  to  his 
fort,  which  was  attacked  and  captured.  Washington  surrendered  on  honor- 
able terms,  and  returned  to  Virginia.  In  this  brief  campaign  was  shed  the 
first  blood  in  the  contest  known  as  the  French  and  Indian  War. 

This  campaign  was  honorable  to  Washington,  but  resulted  in  no  especial 
advantage  to  the  colonies.  This  contest  between  the  colonies  of  the  French 
and  English  was  going  on  for  a  year  and  a  half  before  war  was  declared 
between  the  two  great  nations.  But  the  English  were  aroused  to  the  necessity 
of  doing  something  to  secure  the  rich  Ohio  valley,  and  they  sent  Edward 
Braddock,  an  officer  of  distinction,  with  two  regiments  of  soldiers,  to  aid  the 
colonies.  He  began  his  campaign  in  1755,  with  two  thousand  troops.  He 
had  learned  the  best  rules  of  war  in  the  broad  battle-fields  of  Europe,  but  was 
perfectly  unacquainted  with  the  rude  tactics  of  the  West.  Washington  was 
invited  to  join  his  staff,  and  the  young  man,  eager  to  retrieve  his  loss  in  the 
former  campaign,  assented.  The  English  general  started  on  his  march,  June 
lOth,  to  reach  Fort  Duquesne,  on  the  Ohio,  the  great  centre  of  French  power 
in  the  West.  It  was  the  objective  point  of  Washington  in  his  former  expedition, 
and  was  deemed  of  great  importance.  This  fort  had  been  partly  built  by  the 
English  and  taken  from  them  and  completed  by  the  French.  Benjamin  Franklin 


THE  STORY  OF  ITS  PROGRESS  AND  GROWTH. 


373 


told  General  Braddock  that  "ho  would  undoubtedly  take  the  fort  if  he  could 
reach  it,  but  the  long  slender  line  which  his  army  must  form  on  the  march 
would  be  cut  like  a  thread  in  several  pieces  by  the  hostile  Indians."  Rratl- 
dock  "smiled  at  his  ignorance."  Franklin  offered  no  further  opinion,  but 
performed  his  duties  of  collecting  horses  and  equipage  for  the  army.  The 
young  aid-de-camp,  Washington,  offered  some  suggestions  based  on  his  expe- 
rience, but  the  general  would  not  listen  to  any  advice  from  a  provincial  sub- 
ordinate. No  scouts  were  sent  out,  and  the  commander  did  not  know  how 
near  his  unseen  foes  might  be.  He  was  marching  along  a  road  near  the 
Monongahela  River  twelve  feet  wide,  when  suddenly  an  Indian  war  whoop 
burst  upon  the  air,  and  a  murderous  fire  opened  upon  them.  The  battle  lasted 
three  hours  and  General  Braddock  was  mortally  wounded.  "  Who  would 
have  thought  it  ?  "  said  the  dying  man  as  they  carried  him  from  the  field. 

W^ashington  was  the  only  mounted  officer  who  remained  unharmed, 
while  the  regulars,  seeing  their  general  fall,  fled  in  confusion.  But  young 
Washington  rallied  the  provincials  and  covered  the  retreat  of  the  regulars 
with  such  a  desperate  defense  that  the  Indians  did  not  follow.  One  half  of 
the  entire  force  had  been  killed,  and  the  remainder  returned,  disheartened 
and  broken,  at  the  end  of  a  disastrous  expedition. 

War  was  now  proclaimed  between  France  and  England,  and  the  siege  of 
Quebec  by  the  English  and  its  capture  by  troops  under  General  Wolfe  in 
1759,  with  the  surrender  of  Montreal  in  1760,  established  the  English  posses- 
sion of  Canada  and  the  lake  region  and  beyond. 

The  English  fleet  came  to  Quebec  in  June,  1759,  with  a  large  force. 
Captain  James  Cook,  the  famous  navigator,  who,  thirteen  years  later,  sailed 
around  the  world,  was  in  charge  of  one  of  the  ships,  and  General  Wolfe  had 
command  of  the  army.  The  city  was  divided  into  an  upper  town,  on  the 
heights  of  Abraham,  beyond  the  reach  of  the  guns  from  the  fleet,  and  a  lower 
town,  on  the  banks  of  the  St.  Charles  River.  The  lower  town  was  quickly 
reduced,  but  the  upper  town  held  out  against  any  attempt  of  the  English. 
Hut  the  enthusiastic  young  general  was  not  to  be  baffled,  and  carefully  searched 
the  high  banks  of  the  St.  Lawrence.  He  found  an  opening  where  a  path  led 
up  to  the  heights  above,  and  here  Wolfe  resolved  to  land  his  men,  lead  an 
attack  and  capture  the  French  position,  or  perish  in  the  attempt.  One  night 
in  September,  he  landed  his  men  silently,  and  they  quietly  clambered  up  the 
high  hill,  while  the  sailors  contrived  to  drag  up  a  few  heavy  guns.  When 
the  morning  rose  the  whole  Britis-h  army  stood  on  the  Heights  of  Abraham. 


;  'I '  1 


'   J'''-('    ■! 


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41., 


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itiiit 


374 


OUR  NATION: 


Montcalm,  the  I-'rcnch  cdiiimaiulcr,  was  so  taken  by  surprise  at  the  prcs. 
ence  of  the  enemy,  that  he  refused  to  beheve  tlie  first  report  wliicli  came  to 
him.  Ihit  he  U)st  no  time  in  forminjj;  his  hne  of  battle,  and  made  a  fierce  atul 
bloody  contest  with  his  unexpected  assaihmts.  Uoth  {generals  fell  in  the  con- 
flict,  Wolfe  dyin^  happy  at  the  thoufrht  of  the  French  defeat.  As  his  blooil 
was  flowinj^  he  heard  the  shouts,  "They  fly!  They  fly!"  He  raised  his  1il;i.| 
to  ask,  "Who  fly?"  "The  French,"  was  the  answer.  "Then  I  die  content,'* 
said  the  hero.  The  French  General  died  thankful  that  he  would  not  live  to 
suffer  the  mortification  of  being  compelled  tosurrender  to  the  English.  These 
men  died  as  enemies,  but  after-generations  blended  the  two  names  upon  ii 
common  monument,  which  marks  out  to  posterity  the  scene  of  this  decisive 
battle.  The  French  made  an  ineffectual  attempt  to  regain  Quebec  the  follow- 
ing  year.  In  due  time  the  French  surrendered  Canada  to  the  ICnglish;  at  the 
same  time  Spain  gave  up  Florida  to  Fngland ;  and  thus  the  English  held 
undisputed  possession  of  America  from  the  regions  of  perpetual  ice  and  snow 
to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico. 

All  these  contests  with  the  savages  and  the  French  had  fallen  with  heavi- 
est  weight  upon  the  colonists,  although  they  bad  received  some  assistance 
from  the  home  government  in  the  latter  part  of  the  struggle.  The  colonics 
had  poured  out  their  blood  and  treasure  without  stint  and  were  loyal  to  their 
king.  They  were  proud  of  the  mother  country,  and  were  willing  to  do  their 
utmost  to  support  the  honor  of  the  English  flag.  A  hundred  and  fifty  years 
had  passed  since  the  settlement  of  the  feeble  colonies  on  the  Atlantic  cosat. 
They  were  self-sustaining  and  prosperous,  and  their  increase  in  numbers  and 
wealth  was  most  remarkable.  Thousands  were  coming  every  year  to  seek 
their  fortunes  in  the  West.  America  opened  her  wide  arms  to  the  oppressed 
and  offered  them  the  blessing  of  liberty  and  comfort.  The  thirteen  colonies 
had  increased  in  population  to  three  millions  and  were  upon  the  eve  of  a 
mighty  struggle. 

THE   GATHERING  CLOUD. 

It  maybe  a  natural  question  to  ask,  how  it  came  to  pass  that  in  the  short 
space  of  ten  or  twelve  years  the  affection  and  ro.\spect  which  the  colonies  had 
for  England,  which  they  still  fondly  called  "  home,"  were  changed  to  hatred 
and  a  desire  for  separation  ?  What  cause  had  been  at  work  to  sever  the  bonds 
of  attachment,  and  awaken   the   mighty  spirit   of  resistance  which  spread  all 


THE  STOKV  OK  J  1  S  rUc)(iki:SS  AM)  (luowni. 


375 


•over  the  country  ?     For  {^fenerations  they  hail  spoken  the  same  lanj^ua^^e,  and 
had  a  common  code  of  hiws,  while  gloryinj,'  in  the  history  of  the  past. 

Enghind  Avas  the  model  in  all  tliin^js,  and  to  be  an  "  Old  En{,dand  man  " 
gave  one  a  prestige  and  position  amon^j  the  colonists;  while  all  yielded  a  will- 
iiifj  obedience  to  her  law:?.  They  were  {Governed,  as  Ik-njamin  Kraiikliii  liad 
saiil,  "atthe  mere  exj)ense  of  ink  and  paper."  Money  was  voted  without 
grudge'  by  their  Assemblies,  and  all  the  relations  between  the  colonies  and 
the  home  government  were  of  the  pleasantest  kind,  and  such  was  their  love 
for  England  that  "  they  were  led  by  a  thread." 

lUit  a  wonderful  change  was  wrought  in  the  public  mind,  and  the  aroused 
pcojile  resolved  in  their  public  gatherings  by  the  most  solemn  compact,  that 
they  would  not  use  any  article  of  English  manufacture,  or  engage  in  any 
transaction  whicli  -would  bring  money  into  the  pockets  of  the  English.  They 
often  treated  roughly  any  person  who  expressed  friendliness  for  the  liritish ; 
defied  the  acts  of  parliament;  resisted  the  authority  of  royal  governors; 
treated  with  scorn  the  soldiers  sent  to  enslave  them,  and  at  times  were  on 
the  verge  of  open  rebellion  and  armed  resistance. 

What  caused  this  wonderful  change,  cind  how  were  these  numerous  obe- 
dient subjects  taught  to  despise  and  fight  against  the  very  men  whom  they 
had  before  regarded  as  fellow  countrymen  ?  The  answer  to  these  questions 
can  be  summed  up  in  one  sentence.  The  persistent  ignorance  and  folly  of  the 
English  government  of  the  nature  and  spirit  of  its  American  colonies,  urged 
on  by  cupidity  and  a  desire  to  wring  out  of  the  prosperous  colonies  a  rich 
revenue  to  replenish  the  depleted  treasury  of  the  country  that  had  become 
cxh.iusted  in  the  expensive  wars  of  Europe,  wrought  all  this  evil,  and  lost  to 
the  English  crown  her  richest  possessions  in  the  Western  World.  The  result 
was  that  a  new  nation  was  formed  that  was  destined  to  become  the  leading 
power  of  Christendom.  It  would  have  been  better  if  she  had  gone  in  peace, 
.and  thus  not  engendered  an  animosity  that  lasted  for  two  generations,  and 
led  to  two  disastrous  wars  between  men  of  the  same  language  and  religion. 
We  come  now  to  the  story  of  these  struggles. 

England  i  id  shown  for  many  years  a  disposition  to  govern  her  Ameri- 
can colonies  in  a  spirit  of  harshness  and  undisguised  selfishness.  The  interest 
•of  England  was  th'  chief  object,  and  not  the  good  of  the  colonies.  No  for- 
<;ign  vessels  could  land  in  American  ports,  and  woolen  fabrics  could  not  be 
taken  from  one  colony  to  another.  At  one  time  the  manufacture  of  hats  was 
forbidden.     Ir«n  works  were  prohibited,  and  up  to  the  last  restrictive  naviga- 


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376  OUR  NATION: 

tiuii  laws  bound  colonial  commerce  hand  and  foot.  The  colonics  had  borne 
the  expense  of  their  own  governments  and  defenses,  but  now  the  long-con- 
tinned  struggle  had  left  the  treasury  of  England  very  low,  and  Parliament 
came  to  discuss  the  propriety  of  taxing  the  colonies  for  the  benefit  of  the 
home  government.  The  eager  eye  of  Lord  Grenville  was  searching  for  some- 
thing new  to  tax,  and  he  saw  that  America  was  growing  rich  and  powerful. 
The  English  officers  who  had  served  in  the  West,  had  brought  back  the  most 
glowing  accounts  of  its  resources  and  prosperity.  The  English  merchants 
were  already  envious  of  their  increasing  wealth.  When  the  House  of  Com- 
mons passed  their  resolution  setting  forth  their  right  to  tax  the  colonies,  not 
a  single  voice  or  vote  opposed  the  measure.  Thereupon  an  act  was  passed 
imposing  a  tax  upon  silks,  sugar,  coffee,  and  other  articles  used  in  the  colo- 
nies. The  -Americans  remonstrated,  and  claimed  that  taxation  and  represen- 
tation should  go  together ;  they  were  willing  to  vote  what  money  the  king  might 
require  of  them,  but  they  would  not  pay  taxes  when  they  had  no  voice  in 
laying  them.  But  Lord  Grenville,  who  thought  the  Americans  would  finally 
submit,  persisted  in  his  course.  The  act  called  the  Stamp  Act  was  passed  at 
the  next  session  of  Parliament  in  1765,  which  required  a  government  stamp 
on  all  legal  documents.  Benjamin  Franklin  told  the  House  of  Commons  that 
America  would  never  submit  to  this,  and  no  power  on  earth  could  enforce  it. 
Nor  could  England  long  misunderstand  the  position  of  the  colohies  upon  this 
question.  In  many  places  in  New  England  and  elsewhere  riots  occurred^ 
and  the  Stamp  Act  was  denounced. 

The  stamp  distributors  were  obliged  to  resign.  A  universal  protest  that 
they  would  not  eat,  drink,  or  use  anything  which  came  from  England,  was 
expressed  by  the  citizens  everywhere.  The  act  came  in  force  on  November 
1st,  1765,  and  on  that  day  the  bells  tolled,  and  the  people  appeared  as  if  some 
great  public  calamity  had  fallen  upon  them. 

Not  a  stamp  was  sold  in  America,  but  business  went  on  all  the  same; 
men  and  women  were  married,  and  merchants  bought  and  sold  goods.  The 
courts  were  held  and  all  the  functions  of  government  went  on ;  but  all  this 
was  illegal  because  it  was  done  without  stamps.  Yet  no  serious  harm  came 
of  it.  The  English  were  astonished,  and  some  demanded  that  the  Stamp  Act 
be  enforced  with  the  sword,  but  the  British  merchants  feared  the  loss  of  their 
trade  with  the  colonies  if  this  were  done. 

W'illiam  Pitt,  afterwards  the  Earl  of  Chatham,  joined  with  the  merchants 


nm 


THE  STORY  OF  ITS  PROGRESS  AND  GROWTH. 


377 


and  caused  a  repeal  of  the  law  the  very  next  year.     But  stubborn   old   King 
George  never  ceased  to  regret  "  the  fatal  repeal  of  the  Stamp  Act." 

The  third  intercolonial  Congress  assembled  at  New  York  during  the  ex- 
citement. It  is  known  as  the  Stamp  Act  Congress.  They  adopted  a  Declara- 
tion of  Rights,  and  accomplished  a  good  design  in  showing  the  tendency  of 
Union  between  the  States. 

The  approaching  crisis  was  delayed  for  a  little  time  by  the  repeal  of  the 
Stamp  Act.  But  when  the  feeling  in  England  was  stormy  against  the  col- 
onies, Charles  Townshend,  the  virtual  Prime  Minister  of  England,  during  the 
sickness  of  Pitt,  proposed  to  levy  various  taxes  on  America.  All  his  proposed 
measures  became  laws.  The  most  obnoxious  of  them  was  a  tax  of  three 
pence  a  pound  on  tea.     This  act  was  passed  in  1767. 

The  Americans  despaired  of  justice  and  right  from  the  English  Parlia- 
ment, yet  they  hardly  dared  to  think  of  open  separation,  but  already  the  most 
thoughtful  among  them  were  becoming  fixed  in  their  opinion  as  to  what  the 
issue  would  be.  They  protested,  they  appealed,  they  held  large  public  meet- 
ings, and  everywhere  the  people  were  inflamed  with  a  sense  of  their  injuries, 
other  laws  restricting  the  liberties  of  America  were  passed  by  Parliament, 
and  the  people  prepared  to  resort  to  the  last  step  in  the  solution  of  the  fear- 
ful  problem.  Riots  occurred;  the  foreign  officials  were  resisted,  and  public 
meetings  were  held  to  deliberate  upon  their  grievances. 

British  troops  were  sent  across  the  ocean  to  preserve  order.  Their  pres- 
ence was  galling  to  the  citizens,  who  could  not  brook  this  restraint  upon  their 
liberty. 

The  press,  the  pulpit,  and  the  assemblies  of  representatives  in  all  the  col- 
onies were  bold  in  their  utterances  against  the  tyranny  of  the  old  country. 
The  General  Court  of  Massachusetts  called  on  their  governor  to  remove  the 
soldiers,  but  he  was  powerless.  The  governor  called  upon  the  court  to  raise 
money  to  maintain  the  troops,  and  they  took  infinite  pleasure  in  refusing  to 
raise  money  for  that  purpose.  Then  came  the  "  Boston  Massacre,"  (March, 
1770),  in  which  the  troops  fired  upon  the  citizens,  and  killed  and  wounded 
eleven  persons.  This  inflamed  the  zeal  of  the  patriots  still  more,  and  the 
entire  populace  was  aroused.  The  people  again  demanded  the  removal  of 
the  troops  from  the  city,  and  the  trial  of  the  soldiers  for  murder.  This  was 
complied  with,  and  two  of  the  soldiers  were  found  guilty  of  murder,  by  a 
Boston  jury. 

Parliament  now  wavered  in  its  treatment  of  America,  and  removed  all 


;r:,!^8 


''1-i'i^i 


m 

■■0 

':,.;« -1.1 


:     :!.!.( 


.  :    .11: 


■:  •  I'] ! 


'  i-i) 


378 


OUR  NATION 


^■K 


the  duties,  except  the  small  one  on  tea.  But  they  had  mistaken  the  fecliii"- 
of  their  colonies.  It  was  not  the  amount  of  the  tax  to  which  they  objected, 
but  the  principle  of  taxation  without  representation. 

In  the  autumn  of  1773,  ships  laden  with  taxed  tea  arrived  in  Boston 
harbor.  The  crisis  had  now  arrived.  The  excited  people  met  and  considered 
the  situation.  If  that  tea  should  be  landed  and  .lold,  liberty  in  America  would 
become  a  by-word.     It  was  resolved  not  to  allow  it  to  be  landed. 

Samuel  Adams,  a  man  of  strict  integrity  and  powerful  eloquence  as  a 
speaker  and  writer,  was  the  true  leader  of  the  revolt  in  Massachusetts.  Me 
was  one  of  the  first  who  saw  at  the  outset  that  there  could  be  no  stoppinj^- 
place  short  of  independence.  "  We  are  free,"  he  said,  *'  and  want  no  kinf,^" 
He  assumed  the  leadership  of  his  fellows,  and  was  worthy  of  the  trust.  They 
hoped  that  the  consignees  of  the  East  Indian  Company,  in  whose  employ  the 
ships  were  engaged,  would  send  them  back,  but  they  refused.  Days  of  in- 
tense excitement  followed.  Public  meetings  were  held  constantly  in  a  church 
and  in  Faneuil  Hall,  afterward  known  as  the  cradle  of  American  liberty.  One 
day  the  debate  waxed  hot,  and  the  people  continued  together  till  night-fall. 
Samuel  Adams  announced,  "  This  meeting  can  do  nothing  more  to  save  the 
country,"  and  with  a  shout  it  broke  up.  The  excited  crowd  hastened  down 
to  the  wharf,  led  by  fifty  men  disguised  as  Indians.  This  band  of  disguised 
men  rushed  on  shipboard,  broke  open  the  boxes  of  tea,  and  poured  their 
contents  into  the  harbor.  The  crowd  looked  on  in  silence,  and  not  a  sound 
was  heard  but  the  striking  of  the  hatchets,  and  the  splash  of  the  ruined  tea  in 
the  water.  That  cargo  of  tea  would  bring  no  taxes  into  the  English  treasury, 
that  was  certain.  This  was  on  the  night  of  December  i6th,  1773,  and  was  the 
first  move  of  the  colonists  toward  open  resistance.  Then  they  wrlted  to  see 
what  might  be  the  next  move  of  England. 

Lord  North  was  then  Prime  Minister  of  the  English  Crown,  and  he  de- 
termined to  deal  harshly  with  such  men.  The  port  of  Boston  was  closed  as  a 
port  of  entr}-  and  sailing  for  shipping;  a  heavy  fine  was  imposed  for  the  de- 
struction of  the  tea.  The  charter  of  Massachusetts  was  revoked,  and  the 
governor  was  ordered  to  send  political  offenders  to  England  for  trial.  In 
spite  of  the  remonstrance  of  Lord  Chatham,  and  of  Edmund  Burke,  these 
measures  became  laws.  Four  regiments  of  regular.'  were  sent  to  Boston, 
under  the  command  of  General  Gage.  The  Americans  held  a  day  of  fasting 
and  prayer.  More  than  this,  they  organizetl  militar^  ir;i  anies.  and  began 
the  process  of  ecjuijMiient  and  drill.     Wliilo  all  tliis  was  going  on  in  the  north- 


THE  STORY  OF  ITS  PROGRESS  AND  GROWTH. 


379 


ern  provinces,  the  other  Colonies  were  not  idle,  but  Massachusetts  received 
the  heaviest  blows  of  vengeance.  An  invitation  to  all  the  Colonies  to  meet 
in  General  Congress  at  Philadelphia,  on  the  fifth  day  of  September,  1774,  was 
sent  out  by  the  sturdy  Fvcpresentatives  of  Massachusetts,  who  met  in  Salem. 
Twelve  States  sent  delegations  to  this  Congress.  Georgia,  the  youngest  and 
most  southern  of  the  thirteen  Colonies,  alone  stood  trembling  upon  the  verge 
of  the  perilous  enterprise. 

The  first  General  Congress  of  the  American  commonwealth,  met  in  Car- 
penter's Hall,  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia,  on  the  5th  day  of  September,  1774, 
agreeable  to  this  call.  The  regular  business  of  the  Congress  began  on  the 
7th,  and  was  opened  with  prayer.  In  all  their  proceedings,  decorum,  firmness, 
moderation  and  loyalty  were  manifested,  and  the  delegates  voted  to  adjourn 
to  the  loth  day  of  the  following  May,  unless  the  English  Crown  in  the  mean- 
time should  redress  their  specified  grievances.  But  King  George  was  blind 
and  stubborn. 

Lord  Chatham  said  in  open  Parliament  of  the  men  who  formed  this  Con- 
tinental Congress:  "For  solidity  of  reasoning,  force  of  sagacity,  and  wisdom 
of  conclusion  under  such  a  complication  of  circumstances,  no  nation,  or  body 
of  men  can  stand  in  preference  to  the  General  Congress  in  Philadelphia." 
Peyton  Randolph,  of  Virginia,  was  President,  and  Charles  Thompson,  of 
Pennsylvania,  was  secretary  of  this  body.  George  Washington,  Patrick 
Henry,  John  Rutledge,  Richard  Henry  Lee,  John  Dickinson,  and  other  men 
'  that  stamp  were  there.  Washington  assures  us  that  this  Congress  did  not 
aim  at  independence,  but  a  removal  of  wrongs.  The  time  was  ripe  for  open 
resistance,  and  the  patriots  of  Massachusetts  were  busy  in  the  autumn  and 
winter  of  1774,  in  making  preparations  for  war,  and  uniting  the  people  to 
meet  the  storm  that  was  sure  to  come. 


■  \\ 

^w^ 

'Mm 


1 ; 


■W 


THE    BURSTING   OF   THE    STORM. 


No  alternative  was  now  left  to  the  colonists,  and  they  saw  that  they 
must  fight  for  their  liberties  or  forego  them  altogether.  Throughout  the 
State  of  Massachusetts,  where  the  heel  of  the  oppressor  was  planted  tlu; 
heaviest,  the  most  active  prei)arations  were  in  progress.  Minute-men  were 
(hilling,  and  stores  of  arms  and  ammunition  were  being  collected  in  central 
places,  where  they  would  be  considered  s.ife  from  seizure  by  the  British.  The 
press  and   the  pulpit  vied  with   the  rostrum  in  their  bold  defiance  of  the  ag- 


;:''i^^. 


"«1'M 


380 


OUR  NATION; 


if  ■ 

■f  ,1  ■ 

id 

V'l 


grcssion  of  the  soldiers.  Fathers  and  sons  were  urged  on  by  their  w'v/g'-  and 
mothc-s,  and  the  spirit  of  freedom  incited  them  to  deeds  of  danger  anr.  s.ic- 
i-yn'^c.  The  ofificers  of  the  English  Government  were  despised,  the  soiJicts 
were  defied,  and  the  laws  were  set  at  defiance.  Such  was  the  condition  of 
things  when  the  spring  of  1775  dawned  upon  the  conflict.  This  is  regarded 
as  the  first  year  of  the  long  struggle  of  seven  years  which  was  to  test  the 
strength  of  the  young  country  in  her  contest  with  the  victorious  armies  of 
English  warriors  who  came  fresh  from  the  battle-fields  of  Europe. 

General  Gage,  the  commander  of  the  British  forces  in  Boston,  had  learned 
that  a  large  amount  of  military  stores  were  secreted  at  Concord,  eighteen 
miles  away.  He  decided  to  send  an  expedition  to  seize  it  in  the  king's  name. 
He  sent  eight  hundred  soldiers  upon  the  errand.  Tc  prevent  the  tidings 
from  being  carried  to  the  patriots  the  general  forbade  any  one  going  out  of 
Boston.  The  troops  were  silently  embarked  at  the  foot  of  the  Common 
where  the  tide  then  reached  and  landed  on  the  main.  Doctor  Warren,  after- 
wards killed  at  Bunker  Hill,  made  arrangements  with  his  friend,  Paul  Re- 
vere, to  carry  "  the  tidings  to  eve.  y  Middlesex  village  and  farm."  Young 
Revere  escaped  from  Boston  in  a  small  boat  just  five  minutes  before  the 
guard  was  stationed  to  prevent  any  one  from  leaving  the  city.  He  was  to 
notify  Hancock  and  Adams  who  were  at  Lexington,  and  to  arouse  the  people 
all  along  the  route.  Revere  waited  on  the  Charlestown  shore  until  his  friend 
should  learn  how  the  British  were  to  proceed.  He  was  to  hang  a  lantern  in 
the  North  Church  tower,  "one  if  by  land  and  two  if  bysea."  At  the  instant 
the  twin  lights  appeared  upon  the  tower,  Revere  dashed  off  in  the  darkness 
and  spread  the  tidings.  He  reached  L,^xinf^(ton  and  warned  Hancock  and 
Adams.  Then  he  proceeded  toward  Concord  but  was  arretted  by  a  British 
guard,  not,  however,  until  he  had  communicated  the  news  to  a  friend,  who 
carr    d  it  forward. 

The  British,  who  had  crossed  the  Charles  River  and  ma^'^hed  all  night, 
reached  Lexington  just  as  day  was  breaking.  The  mini  te-men  were  called 
uy  the  beating  of  the  drum,  and  about  one  hundred  militia  were  gathered  to 
meet  eight  times  as  many  trained  soldiers. 

There  they  stood  on  the  Common,  on  a  very  warm  morning  as  the  regu- 
lars came  up.  Captain  Jonas  Parker  had  ordered  them  not  to  fire  on  the 
if'  -tish  until  the  latter  had  finst  fired  on  them.  Major  Pitcairn  rode  up  and 
ordered  the  "  \  illains  "  and  "rebels,"  with  an  oath  to  disperse,  and  instantly 
commanded  his  men  to  fire  on  them. 


\S. 


HE  STORY  OF  ITS  PROGRESS  AND  CROWTH. 


38r 


1  I 


The  captain  of  the  Contim nUils  liad  intended  to  disperse  iiis  nn  i,  but 
the  fire  of  the  British  had  killed  eight  and  wounded  several;  about  one-fifth 
of  the  whole.  The  British  fire  was  returned  only  by  a  few  of  the  wounded 
nicn;  and  three  Englishmen  were  wounded.  But  the  war  had  begun  by  the 
cold-blooded  murder  of  Americans  on  their  own  soil. 

It  was  no  battle,  and  the  act  of  the  British  ofificer  was  nothing  less  than 
Avanton  murder.     Samuel  Adams  said  when  he  heard  it,  ",Oh!  what  a  glorious 
morning  this  is,"  knowing  that  it  would  rally  and  unite  all  the  people.     The 
regulars  cheered  over  their  triumph  of  a  few  score  farmers,  who  had  not 
attacked  them,  and  pressed  on  to  Concord.     They  reached  here  at  seven  in 
the  morning,  but  were  too  late,  for  the  news  of  their  coming  had  preceded 
them  several  hours.     The  military  stores  had  most  of  them  been  removed  and 
hidden  away,  and  but  little  remained  for  them  to  destroy.     In  the  mean  time 
tlv  towns  all  around  had  been  aroused,  and  the  militia  wtre  pouring  in  from 
every  direction.     There  were  not  enough  to  attack  the  troops  nor  were  there 
any  serious  thoughts  of  doing  so,  and  they  were  withdrawn  from  the  village 
of  Concord  to  a  hill  on  the  other  side  of  the  river.     The  British  scattered  to 
fiiul  tne  concealed  stores,  and  one  party  went  over  the  north  bridge  and  one 
over  the  south.     As  the  party  went  over  the  north  bridge,  the   provincial 
troops,  if  troops  we  co  ild  call  them,  were  in  plain  sight,  and  therefore  a  part 
of  the  regulars,  about  one  hundred,  were  left  to  guard  the  bridge,  while  the 
rest,  about  the  same  number,  went  over.    The  Continentals  saw  the  British  at 
the  bridge   and   could   see   the  smoke  tliat    arose  across  the   bridge.     What 
should  they  do?  see  their  liouses  burned  and  not  go  to  the  rescue  of  their 
u  i\  cs  and  children?    Thej-  consulted  and  agreed  to  march  down  to  the  bridge, 
l)UL  not  a  man  was  to  fire  until  tliey  had  been  fired  upon.     The   British  saw 
them  coming  .md   began  to  tear  up  the  bridge.     The  Continentals  hurried  on 
and  the  British  fired  upon  them, — at  first  one  or  two  shots  b\   which  no  harm 
was  done;  tiieii    more   shots   were   fired;  twt)   men   were  wiiunded ;  a  whole 
\olle\' and  two  <'f   tlv>  patriots  were  killed,     ''/■'in/  fellow  soldiers ;  for  God's 
sake,  firel"  cried  Captain  John  Buttrick,  leaping  into   the  air  and   turning  to 
ills  men.     Thus  began  the  American  revolution.    Two  British  were  killed  and 
several   injured.     Blood   had   been  shed   by  men  in  armed   rebellion,  and   the 
men  who  had  done  it  were  rebels  and  traitors.     There  could   be  no  backward 
ste[)s  now,  and  the  contest  must  wage  till   one  or  the  other  side  should  give 
ill.     This  was  the  battle  of  Concord,  .md  the  first  one  of  the  war. 

The  British  retreated  from  the  tow  n  as  tjuickly  as  possible  toward  Lex- 


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ULMi   NATION: 


iiigton  and  Boston.  It  had  been  a  mild  winter,  followed  by  an  early  spline, 
and  tile  day  was  intensely  hot.  The  provision  train  which  was  to  supply 
them  with  food  had  been  taken,  and  all  they  could  ^^ct  was  what  they  niij^ht 
plunder  from  the  citizens.  Nor  was  this  the  worst,  for  the  minute-men,  without 
any  orders  from  their  officers,  but  each  on  his  own  account,  lay  in  ambush 
behind  trees  and  fences  and  stone  walls,  where  they  were  safe,  and  kx-pt  up  ,i 
harassing;  fire  upon  the  retreating  liritish  to  the  very  shelter  of  their  sliii)s. 
As  the  troops  would  pass  by  one  place  the  patriots  would  go  forward  by  l)y- 
paths  and  fire  upon  them  again  from  another  position.  When  one  jjarty 
became  worn'  oiu,  fres-h  recruits  would  come  up  from  the  surrounding  coun- 
try, and  thus  the  war  was  kept  up  all  along  the  distressing  march  back  to 
Boston.  The  march  was  kept  u[)  in  good  order  at  first,  but  broke  into  an 
irregular  rout  at  last.  About  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  they  were  met 
by  twehe  liundrcd  i^ritisli  trooi)S,  sent  out  from  lioston  to  aid  them  witii  two 
pieces  of  artillur)-.  ]^ut  their  position  was  perilous  even  after  the  arrival  of 
these  reinforcements.  The  colonists  were  increasing  in  numbers  every  mo- 
ment, and  unless  they  moved  rapidly  the  whole  force  would  be  cut  off.  Tiic 
firing  began  again,  aiil  more  and  more  of  the  patriots  came  up  to  aid  the 
weary  Continentals.  The)-  fought  like  men  in  thorough  earnest,  and  altiiough 
they  were  undisciplined  and  their  methods  were  crutle,  they  put  the  \ery 
fl'iwcrdl'  the  English  army  to  the  u  (U'st,  and  it  w  as  not  till  seven  o'cl(.)ck  at  night 
that  the  regulars  were  safe  untler  the  ])r()tection  of  the  guns  of  their  ships. 

The  British  lost  se\ent\ -three  killed,  one  hundred  and  seventy-tui. 
wounded,  and  twenty-six  missing;  while  the  Anierie.ms  had  forty-nine  killeil, 
thirt)-six  wounded  and  six  missin;;'.  The  British  suffered  hea\i!y  in  the  loss 
of  officers.  This  was  the  opening  contest  that  the'  British  had  forced  upon 
their  patient  and  lojal  subjects  in  Aiiieric.i,  and  uliich  was  to  rage  for  s'\en 
years.  \Vi.'  will  now  s])eak  of  some  of  the  heroes  whose  names  are  conspicu 
ous  in  this  periotl  of  American  history. 

Gl-OKOn    WASHINGTON, 

THE   Cr.\!MANI)KK-i<-C-lIIi:F   OF    TIIK   (ON  TIXKNTAI.   AK.MV. 

TlIK  man  who  was  fondly  regarded  as  "the  first  in  War,  the  first  in 
Peace,  and  the  first  in  the  Hearts  of  his  countrymen,"  could  trace  the  line  of 
his  ancestry  back  nearly  to  the  Norman  con(juest  (^f  England.  He  was  born 
F"ebruary  :?::nd,  1732,  in  Virginia,  and  was  educated  by  his  mother,  why  became 


rw^   V 


THE  STORY  OF  ITS  PROGRESS  AND  (}RO\VTII. 


3«3 


a  widow  when  her  eldest  son  was  eleven  years  of  aj^e.  She  early  instilletl  into 
his  mind  a  love  of  goodness  and  truth,  which  gave  a  color  to  all  his  after  life, 
and  to  a  great  extent,  moulded  the  destinies  of  America.  Under  her  gentle 
yet  firm  control,  George  learned  the  great  lessons  of  obedience  and  self- 
command,  and  i.n  early  life  gave  promise  of  the  excellences  which  would  ripen 
into  a  well-rounded  manhood.  He  had  his  mother's  love  of  command,  and 
inherited  her  calm,  judicial  character  of  mind.  Even  among  his  schoolmates 
he  became  an  arbitrator  of  their  disputes  and  would  not  allow  anything  un- 
just or  unfair.  His  person  was  large  and  powerful,  and  he  delighted  in 
athletic  sports,  and  out-of-door  pursuits.  He  had  a  bodily  frame  suited  to  a 
lofty  soul,  and  could  endure  hardship,  toil  and  fatigue,  to  almost  any  extent, 
ilis  education  was  limited,  and  he  learned  no  language  but  his  mother  tongue, 
lie  learned  mathematics  and  land  surveying,  the  keeping  of  accounts,  and  the 
framing  of  legal  documents.  This  was  the  extent  of  his  literary  acquire- 
ments. 

But  George  Washington  was  precise  and  exact  in  everything  he  under- 
took. His  copy  books,  and  measurements  of  surveying  when  studying,  were 
as  neat  and  scrupulously  kept,  as  if  they  were  of  great  pecuniary  valuo.  At 
the  age  of  eighteen,  we  find  him  serving  as  a  government  surveyor  for  the 
State  o{  Virginia.  Many  of  his  returns  are  on  file  in  the  count}-  court- 
liouse  and  are  so  ver}'  accurate  that  their  evidence  is  taken  in  contested 
clis[)utes  to  this  ila)',  where  the  measurement  or  boundary  of  land  is  involved. 
He  was  Adjutant  General  of  one  of  the  iTiilitary  districts  of  his  native  State 
before  the  Indian  war,  and  as  we  have  seen,  led  towards  the  Ohio  valley  a 
bod)'  of  troops,  when  he  was  just  past  twentj-two  years  of  age.  He  covered 
the  retreat  of  the  remnant  of  General  Braddock's  arm\-,  at  the  Battle  of  the 
Monongahela,  and  was  a  member  of  the  first  Continental  Congress  at  I'hila- 
clcli)liia  in  1774.  He  was  for  the  \-ears  prior  to  the  Revolution  engaged  in 
conducting  the  affairs  of  Ins  pri\'ate  estate  at  Tvlount  \'ernon,  \'irginia,  where 
he  shipjwjd  his  tobacco,  kept  his  books  ami  conducted  his  own  correspond- 
cnci'.  He  raised  a  large  (piantity  of  wheat,  and  ground  it  at  his  own  mill. 
It  became  renow  Ufd  for  its  excellent  quality;  and  such  was  his  reputation  for 
business  integrity  that  nc^  one  thought  of  inspecting  the  barrel  which  bore  his 
brand.  He  had  the  rare  combination  of  a  massive  intellect,  an  iron  will,  and 
.1  gentle.  loving  heart.  In  him  was  united  a  perfect  equipoise  of  all  the 
elements  of  manhood,  and  in  a  great  degree  did  he  Cv.i'ibine  the  qualities  of 
the  Spartan  Lycurgus,  the  Roman  Cincinnatus,  and  the  Greek  Alexander.     A 


« 


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384 


OUR  NATIOiN 


true  patn'(it.  ;i  born  leader,  and  a  safe  counselor  in  the  army,  in  congress  and 
at  the  head  of  government,  he  was  the  chosen  instrument  of  rroviilencr, 
raised  up  to  meet  the  demand  of  the  times  in  which  he  lived,  and  to  earn  tlij 
proud  title  which  succeeding  generations  have  given  him,  "  The  Father  of  his 
Country." 

History  has  assigned  to  Washington  a  high  position  among  her  noblo 
names,  and  delights  to  point  to  him  as  a  revolutionary  leader  against  whom 
the  least  act  of  wrong  has  ne\'er  been  alleged.  Such  was  the  man  around 
whose  name  crystallizes  the  noble  deeds  of  the  Revolution  in  America.  The 
life  of  this  man  has  been  so  interwoven  into  the  history  of  the  nation,  as  to 
form  a  large  part  of  it. 


JOHN    HANCOCK. 

This  man  was  President  of  the  Congress  which  adopted  the  resolution 
for  the  "  Declatation  of  Independence,"  and  his  bold  autograph  stands  at  the 
head  of  the  names  which  are  signed  to  that  immortal  instrument.  It  is  a 
bold  defiance  to  the  home  government,  and  flaunted  like  the  battle-flag  of 
freedom,  it  stands  at  the  head  of  the  list  of  noted  names,  in  its  vigorous 
strength  a  type  of  the  man  whose  courage  and  undaunted  power  of  will 
moved  the  pen  which  aflfixed  it  there  in  distinct  characters  for  future  gener- 
ations to  read,  as  he  said  King  George  could  do.  "without  spectacles."  He 
was  born  at  Braintree,  Massachusetts,  in  1737,  and  received  a  coUegiaix.'  edu- 
cation at  Har\  I'd,  after  which  he  became  a  clerk  to  his  uncle,  and  at  the 
death  of  the  latter  inherited  his  great  wealth.  He  was  one  of  the  must 
wealth)'  and  tiie  most  popular  of  all  the  leaders  during  the  Revolutionary 
struggle,  in  Massachusetts.  He  began  his  public  career  cpiite  early  in  life, 
anil  was  I'resident  of  the  first  Provincial  Congress  which  met.  inde[)endeiit  of 
royal  authoritx',  in  Salem,  Massachusetts,  in  October.  1774;  also  of  the  Conti 
nental  Congress  of  1775  and  1 776. 

On  June  loth,  1775,  General  Gage,  commanding  the  British  forces  in 
Boston,  issued  his  priclamation  declaring  the  colonists  rebels  and  traitors, 
but  offering  pardon  to  all  who  \\ould  give  uj)  their  arms  and  take  the  oath  of 
loyalty  to  the  king,  excepting  John  Hancock  and  Siunuel  Adams,  whom  he 
proposeil  to  send  to  England  to  be  hanged. 

Hancock  was  a  staunch  patriot,  and  did  much  throitghout  the  struggle  to 
aiil  the  army  and  supply  provisions  and  eiiuipment^.      He  was  Major  General 


Ml 


THE  STORY  OF  ITS  I'ROGRESS  AND  GROWTH.  385 

of  the  iMiiss;icluisctts  militia,  .iMcl  was  sadly  disappointed  that  he  was  not 
chosen  Commander-in-Chief  of  the  Continental  forces.  But  for  all  this,  he 
did  not  desert  the  Colonies,  but  gave  his  services  and  his  money  to  his  coun- 
try without  stint,  and  was  unswervinj^  in  his  loyalty  to  the  American  ^ause. 

John  Hancock  was  Governor  of  Massachusetts  after  the  war,  and  died  in 
1793,  honored  and  respected  by  all.  He  was  buried  in  the  old  Granary  bury- 
ing-^fround,  in  Boston,  where  lies  the  dust  of  many  of  Massachusetts'  noble 
dead. 

BENJAMIN    FRANKLIN. 

When  George  Washington  was  passing  his  boyhood  at  Mount  Vernon, 
there  was  a  young  man  at  Philadelphia  who  was  modestly  toiling  to  gain  a 
livelihood.  He  was  a  printer,  publisher,  stationer,  and  kept  a  store  for  the 
sale  of  sundry  articles.  He  became  a  thriving  man,  and  by  his  simple  habits, 
genial  disposition,  and  pure  character  won  the  esteem  of  his  fellow-citizens. 
More  than  this,  he  was  a  popul.ir  writer,  and  a  studious  gentlemaii,  whose 
name  woul'.l  afterwards  be  sounded  c)\er  the  workl  as  a  great  philosopher, 
lie  would  demonstrate  to  the  savans  of  Europe  that  electricity  and  lightning 
were  the  same,  and  give  the  scientific  world  a  jiroof  that  there  are  investiga- 
tors and  original  thinkers  among  the  rutle  i)eople  of  the  West.  But  he  was 
more  than  this  even,  he  was  a  i\itriot  and  statesman  who  would  be  an  inval- 
ual)lc  assistant  to  the  generals  in  the  field.  This  man  was  Benjamin  Franklin, 
the  printer,  the  economist,  the  philosoi)her,  the  patriot  and  the  statesman, 
lie  was  born  in  Boston,  January  17th,  1706,  of  humble  parentage.  He  was 
a])prenticed  to  his  brother  to  the  trade  of  a  printer,  but  set  out  at  the  age  of 
seventeen  to  seek  his  fortunes  in  Philadelphia,  without  money  or  friends.  In 
17J9  he  establisheil  a  newspaper,  and  began  the  publication  of  "Poor 
Richard's  Almanac"  in  1732.  He  established  the  free  library  of  Philadel- 
phia. He  was  appointed  Ueput)'  Postmaster  (ieneral  of  the  American  Colo- 
nies in  1753,  a  j-ear  after  he  had  astonished  the  world  with  his  scientific 
discoveries.  In  1764  he  was  sent  to  England  as  a  representative  of  the 
Colonies  to  protest  before  the  Pri\y  Counsel  against  the  obnoxious  Stamp 
Act ;  ;uul  i'.fter  i)eing  examined  before  a  committee  of  the  House  of  Commons, 
wli  re  he  acquitted  himself  with  remarkable  abilit}',  he  returned  home.  He 
was  chosen  a  member  of  the  second  Continental  Congress  in  1775,  and  the 
next  year  was  a  i^UMnber  of  the  committee  which  franu'd  the  Declaration  of 


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386 


OUR  NATION: 


IiulopciulciK(j.  l'"r;ml<liii,  very  c.irly  in  the  contest,  afjitated  the  separation 
of  the  Colonies  from  ICnj^laiid,  anil  took  a  prominent  part  in  all  tlie  councils 
of  that  eventful  period.  In  1776  he  was  sent  as  the  first  ambassador  to  the 
court  of  France,  where  the  [rood  sense  and  simple  manners  of  the  old  printer 
j^aineil  the  favor  of  the  French.  He  a-^sisted  in  effcctinjf  a  treaty  between 
the  two  f^overnments,  which  was  sij^ned  at  Paris,  I'Y-bruary  6th,  177S.  He 
lived  to  a  ripe  old  a^e,  assisted  in  framing  the  Constitution,  and  was  the  in 
strunient  of  forming  the  treaty  of  peace  with  England  in  1782.  He  died  in 
1790  and  was  buried  at  Philadelphia. 


'  \'.    ■     ..■    ' 

11  jaw  ,■  ■     'i|:     « 

ISRAEL    PUTNAM, 

The  hero  of  Connecticut,  who  diti  much  to  arouse  the  patriotic  zeal  of 
his  foster  Colony,  deserves  more  tiian  a  passing  notice.  He  had  taken  an 
active  ami  honorable  j)art  in  the  Indian  and  French  wars,  and  was  Major 
General  of  the  Connecticut  troops  at  the  outbreak  of  the  Revolution.  In  his 
wars  with  the  Indians  he  had  been  taken  prisoner,  and  at  one  time  was 
bountl  to  the  stake,  to  be  tormented  by  having  the  savages  toss  their  toma- 
hawks at  him  with  such  dexterity  as  not  to  cut  him,  but  was  rescued  by  an 
unexpected  deliverance.  He  had  once  engaged  with  a  wolf  alone  in  a  (K;n, 
and  b\'  his  coolness  and  bravery  in  many  exploits  had  won  the  esteem  and 
respect  of  his  fellow-citizens.  He  was  a  true  patriot,  and  a  stern  disciplina- 
rian. After  the  skirmishers  at  Lexington  and  Concord  had  stirred  the  peo- 
ple of  Massachusetts  to  deeds  of  valor,  the  tidings  came  to  I'utnam  as  he 
was  ploughing  on  his  Connecticut  farm.  He  unyoked  his  oxen,  sent  word  to 
his  family  that  he  had  started  for  Boston,  mounted  his  horse  and  rode  off  to 
join  the  patriots  in  their  noble  defence.  He  was  conspicuous  for  braver)-  at 
the  l)attle  of  Bunker  Hill,  and  rallied  the  militia  who  turned  to  run.  .Some 
years  after  this,  he  stood  up  in  the  church  of  which  he  was  a  member  to 
answer  to  the  sin  of  swearing  on  that  occasion,  and  partially  justified  himself 
by  saving  that  "  it  was  almost  enough  to  make  an  angel  swear  to  see  tlie 
cowards  refuse  to  secure  a  victory  so  nearly  won." 

Putnam  was  born  at  Salem,  Massachusetts,  in  1718,  and  emigrated  to 
eastern  Connecticut  in  early  life.  He  was  consjiicuous  in  all  the  exjiloits 
with  the  Indians  of  that  period  and  was  regarded  as  a  brave  and  fearless  man. 
In  1775,  he  was  commissioned  as  a  Major  General  of  the  Continental  army. 
He  was  in   command  of  the  army  in  the   Hudson   Highlands,  and  superin- 


Till',  STORY  OV  ITS  l»K()(iki:SS  ANT)  GROWTH. 


3S7 


tondctl  the  erection  of  fortifications  at  West  Point  on  the  Iliulson.      lie  cHed 
in  1790,  at  tlie  age  of  seventy-two. 

I'ATRICK    IinNRV,  THE   ORATOR. 

Tins  man,  who  was  a  perfect  l^^aneri^es  (son  of  thunder)  at  the  outset 
of  tlie  Revolution,  was  also  a  native  of  Vir^dnia,  where  he  was  born  in  Han- 
over count)-,  in  I73<').  It  is  said  that  he  was  stupid  as  a  scholar,  and  indolent 
ill  liis  habits  during  liis  youth,  and  gave  no  promise  of  the  great  power  he 
possesseil  as  a  tliinker  and  orator.  His  remarkable  eloquence  first  broke  out 
when  he  was  twenty-seven,  and  his  reputation  as  an  orator  spread  over  liis 
native  State  after  this.  He  was  the  first  Governor  of  Virginia  elected  by  the 
people,  and  served  in  that  office  for  two  terms.  He  was  the  first  of  all  the 
public  speakers  of  America  to  hurl  tlown  the  gauntlet  of  defiance  to  the 
English.  In  the  ye-xr  1765,  he  introduced  into  the  house  of  Burgesses,  of 
Virginia,  of  which  he  was  a  member,  a  series  of  resolutions  highly  tinctured 
with  treason.  They  boldly  maintained  the  doctrine  that  all  the  Colonies,  and 
especially  Virginia,  alone  had  the  right  to  impose  taxes  upon  the  people  of 
that  province,  and  they  were  not  bound  to  obey  any  law  in  reference  to  taxa- 
tion which  did  not  proceed  from  their  own  representatives.  The  last  reso- 
lution declared  that  whoever  dissented  from  the  opinions  set  forth  in  the 
resolutions  preceding,  was  an  enemy  to  the  colonies. 

Henr)' supported  these  resolutions  with  all  the  power  of  his  m.itchless 
eloquence.  In  the  midst  of  this  memorable  speech,  when  the  impassioned 
orator  had  exclaimed,  "  Cesar  had  his  Ikutus,  Charles  the   l-'ir^t  his  Crom- 


Aveil,  and   George  the  Third- 


"  Treason  !   Treasc^-i  I  "    cried  a  voice  from 


the  gallery — "  may  profit  by  their  example.     //  that  is  treason,  make  the  most 
of  it,"  finished  Henry. 

Henry  was  a  member  of  the  first  Continental  Congress,  as  we  have  seen. 
The  members  sat  silent  in  the  assembly  which  gathered  in  Carpenter's  Hal! 
on  that  memorable  ila>',  the  fifth  of  September,  1774.  Not  a  voice  broke  the 
silence,  and  deep  anxiety  sat  on  every  face.  All  at  once  a  grave-looking  man 
in  a  suit  of  minister's  gray  arose,  and  poured  forth  a  torrent  of  eloquence  in  a 
sweet  musical  voice  which  stirred  the  hearts  of  all.  "  Who  is  iie  ?"  was  whis- 
[)ered  from  lip  to  lip.  The  few  who  knew  him  answered  ''  Patrick  Henry,  of 
Virginia."  There  was  no  longer  any  hesitation  in  the  Congress,  and  the 
deliberations  of  that  body  went  on  to  the  end.  His  eloquence  was  of  a  high 
character,  and  impassioned  in  its  style. 


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In  the  Virginia  House  of  Burgesses,  on  the  23d  day  of  March,  1775, 
before  the  battle  of  Concord  and  Lexington,  Henry  again  aroused  the  entlui- 
siasm  of  his  fellow  delegates  in  a  patriotic  speech,  which  has  been  publisliLd 
in  nearly  every  school  reader  since  that  time,  and  ended  with  the  sentence 
which  became  the  rallying  cry  of  the  Revolution,  "GIVE  ME  LIBERTY,  or 
GIVE  ME  DEATH."  Twenty-six  days  after  this,  Governor  Dunmore  seized 
and  conveyed  on  board  the  British  man-of-war  a  quantity  of  gunpowder 
belonging  to  the  Colony  of  Virginia.  The  enraged  citizens  compelled  him  to 
leave  his  palace  at  Williamsburg,  and  flee  for  his  life  on  board  of  the  same 
vessel.  In  October  of  the  same  year,  the  deposed  governor  landed  with  reg- 
ular troops  to  pi'.nish  the  Colony  and  seize  the  town  of  Hampton,  near  Old 
Point  Comfort.  Patrick  Henry  at  the  head  of  the  militia  defeated  him,  and 
compelled  him  to  pay  for  the  gunpowder  he  had  taken  away  the  June  before. 
His  regiment  carried  one  of  the  Earliest  known  American  flags  in  this 
engagement,  with  the  words  "LIBERTY  OR  DEATH,"  and  the  picture  of  a 
coiled  serpent  under  which  were  the  words,  "  Do/i'f  tread  on  inc." 

The  soldiers  A'ere  clad  in  green  hunting  shirts,  with  the  words  "  l.lliKRTV 
OK  DEATH  "  printed  across  the  bosom.  They  wore  hats  with  long  bucks* 
tails  trailing  behind,  and  a  belt  with  tomahawks  and  scalping  knives  stuck  in 
them,  and  made  a  formidable  appearance  as  they  marched  through  thu  prov- 
ince. We  will  find  the  mention  of  Patrick  Henry  as  we  proceed  further  in 
the  history. 

SAMiJEL   ADAMS. 

This  man  was  the  true  leader  in  the  city  of  Boston  during  the  excite- 
ment of  the  Stamp  Act  and  the  destruction  of  the  tea.  He  was  then  a  man 
of  middle  age,  well  educated  and  with  a  stainless  reputation.  He  was  a  niost 
powerful  speaker  and  writer; — a  man  who  gathered  his  adherents  by  his 
eloquence,  and  held  them  by  his  wonderful  power  of  persuasion  and  argu- 
ment. He  was  a  type  of  the  old  Puritan  family  from  which  he  was  de- 
scended, having  been  born  in  Boston,  in  1732.  His  fellow  citizens  felt  the 
power  of  his  resolute  will,  and  gladly  followed  when  he  led  the  way  for  them. 
The  English  rightly  regarded  him  as  a  leader  of  the  rebellion;  for  when  tliey 
sent  a  proclamation  to  New  England  offering  general  amnesty  to  all  who 
would  lay  down  their  arms  and  return  to  their  allct^n'ance  to  the  crown, 
Samuel  Adams  antl  John  Hancock  were  the  only  men  who  were  exempt  from 
the  provision  of  pardon. 


THE  STORY  OF  ITS  PROGRESS  AND  GROWTH. 


389 


lA  ■ 


s  '  i.iiiKRrv 


The  keen  foresight  of  this  man  took  in  the  situation  at  a  glance,  and  saw 
from  the  fi»-st  that  there  could  be  no  halt  for  the  Colonies  until  a  complete 
separation  from  the  old  country  was  effected.  His  strength  of  argument  and 
powerful  eloquence  in  the  General  Court  and  before  the  people  did  much  co 
mould  the  action  and  direct  the  thoughts  of  the  patriots  of  this  stormy  time. 
There  can  be  no  doubt  that  he  was  the  leader  in  more  than  one  encounter  of 
the  people  with  the  soldiers  before  the  battle  of  Lexington,  and  he  was 
responsible  for  the  destruction  of  the  tea  in  Boston  harbor.  He  seemed 
eager  to  incite  the  Colony  to  open  rebellion,  and  was  delighted  with  the  news 
of  the  conflict  at  Concord  and  Lexington.  , 

At  the  Assembly  of  the  representatives  of  Massachusetts,  in  Salem,  which 
sent  out  the  invitation  that  resulted  in  the  first  General  Congress,  they  pro- 
vided for  a  plan  of  union  between  the  Colonies,  raised  munitions  of  war,  and 
formed  a  league  of  non-intercourse  with  England.  General  Gage  sent  his 
own  secretary  to  dissolve  the  Assembly,  but  the  door  of  the  chamber  was 
locked  and  Samuel  Adams  had  the  key  in  his  pocket.  He  was  one  of  the 
si[^ners  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence  and,  afterwards  Governor  of 
Massachusetts.  He  was  a  true  man,  a  noble  patriot,  a  born  leader  of  the 
people,  and  in  the  hours  which  tried  men's  souls  he  was  brave,  undaunted 
and  heroic. 

The  unflinching  advocate  of  liberty,  he  was  among  the  first  to  pledge 
"  his  life,  his  fortune  and  his  sacred  honor,"  to  the  cause  he  loved,  and  his. 
countrymen  loved  todo  him  honor.     He  died  in  1803. 

There  are  many  other  illustrious  names  of  this  period.  General  Warren, 
who  fell  at  Bunker  Hill,  Henry  Knox,  the  warm  friend  of  Washington,  Gen- 
eral Green  and  a  host  of  noble  men,  heroes  all  of  them ;  but  we  must  hasten 
on  with  our  history,  and  let  their  heroic  deeds  speak  their  praise  in  more 
eloquent  terms  than  words  can  proclaim. 


'  ivji:: 


i 


BATTLE    OF   BUNKER   HILL  AND   SIEGE   OF   BOSTON. 


We  will  resume  the  line  of  history  at  the  point  where  we  left  off :  the 
return  of  the  discomfited  British  troops  from  their  ill-fated  expedition  to 
Concord  and  Lexington.  The  initial  blow  for  liberty  had  been  struck,  and  it 
was  appalling  to  friends  and  foes  alike.  The  people  were  thoroughly  aroused 
all  over  the  land.  General  Gage  had  issued  his  proclamation,  of  which  we 
have  spoken. 


■«« : 


■ 

B 

IHi- . 

A 

I 

ill 

> 

.  ! 


390 


OUR  NATION: 


Minute-men  were  gathering  from  all  parts  of  the  country,  and  the  other 
Colonies  heartily  espoused  the  cause  of  their  sister,  Massachusetts.  The  min- 
istry of  the  crown  had  cut  off  the  Colonies  from  protection,  exempting  New 
"^'ork,  Delaware  and  North  Carolina,  but  these  Colonies  had  spurned  the 
offer  and  united  with  the  others  in  a  common  cause.  The  news  spread  liko 
wild-fire  that  patriotic  blood  had  been  shed,  and  already  American  freedom 
could  boast  of  her  martyrs.  Mounted  couriers  were  galloping  in  hot  haste 
to  other  Colonies  to  carry  the  tidings  of  Lexington.  "  The  war  has  begun! " 
was  shouted  in  market-place  and  by  the  press.  And  all  true  men  saw  that 
the  time  to  1^'  aside  the  avocations  of  peace,  and  gird  themselves  tor  the 
contest,  had  arrived.  In  her  great  eagerness.  North  Carolina  threw  off  her 
allegiance  to  the  crown  and  formed  military  organizations.  Georgia  and 
South  Carolina  sent  gifts  of  money  and  food  with  cheering  letters  to  the 
patriots  of  the  North.  There  was  a  general  rush  to  arms  in  Virginia,  under 
the  arousing  influence  of  the  orator,  Patrick  Henry.  From  almost  every 
town  and  hamlet  of  New  England  men  were  rushing  to  Boston.  That  city 
could  be  easily  blockaded.  A  narrow  strip  of  land  joined  the  penir  iula  to  the 
main  land  at  Roxbury;  called  Boston  Neck.  Three  thousand  British  soldiers 
were  quickly  hemmed  within  the  city,  and  still  General  Gage  did  not  move. 
The  New  England  yeomanry  were  pouring  into  the  camp  cf  the  blockaders, 
undisciplined  and  ununiformed.  The  regulars  of  the  English  army  mocked 
them  as  "  a  rabble  with  calico  frocks  and  fowling-pieces."  But  they  were 
free  Anglo-Saxons  with  arms  in  their  hands  and  a  strong  purpose  in  their 
hearts.     It  was  unwise  to  despise  such  men. 

A  number  of  aggressive  movements  were  undertaken  by  volunteers 
against  forts  and  garrisons,  which  were  successful  from  their  very  boldness 
and  unexpectedness.  Among  the  most  important  of  these  was  the  taking  of 
Ticonderoga  and  Crown  Poinf  on  Lake  Champlain,  by  the  troops  of  Connec- 
ticut and  Vermont.  On  the  morning  of  the  loth  of  May,  1775,  Colonel 
Ethan  Allen  and  the  Green  Mountain  Boys  appeared  in  the  vicinity  of  Fort 
Ticonderoga.  It  seems  that  there  were  two  independent  expeditions  igno- 
rant of  the  purpose  of  each  other.  The  Colony  of  Massachusetts  had  given 
Benf'dict  Arnold  a  commission  as  Colonel,  and  ordered  him  to  raise  a  force 
of  four  hunded  men  to  reduce  the  two  forts.  Connecticut  lent  eighteen 
hundred  dollars  to  aid  the  enterprise,  and  ammunition  was  purchased  which, 
as  we  shall  see,  was  not  expended  for  that  purpose.  The  Connecticut  men 
were  first  in  the  field,  and  went  to  Vermont  and  offered  the  command  to 


THE  STORY  OF  ITS  PROGRESS  AND  GROWTH. 


39' 


Etliaii  Allen.  He  was  a  hold,  rough  man  who  had  made  himself  conspicuous 
by  his  resistance  to  the  royal  governor  of  New  York,  who  attempted  to  take 
possession  of  Vermont.  While  the  troops  were  concentrating  at  the  reuflez- 
vous  at  Castlcton,  Arnold  came  up  with  his  Massachusetts  commission.  He 
was  allowed  to  join  the  anny,  but  Allen  was  put  in  command.  The  first 
thing  to  be  done  was  to  obtain  information  of  the  condition  of  the  fort. 
Captain  Noah  Phelps,  of  Connecticut,  dressed  as  a  farmer,  went  to  the  fort 
to  get  shaved,  as  he  claimed  he  thought  he  could  find  a  barber  there.  Me 
obtained  the  information  wanted  and  returned  to  the  camp. 

On  the  evening  of  May  9th,  the  force  of  Green  Mountain  Boys  were 
ready  to  embark  in  the  only  boat  that  could  be  procured ;  but  eighty-three 
men  could  cross  at  the  same  time.  The  two  colonels  went  over  in  the  first 
boat.  When  across  the  river,  Allen  could  not  wait  for  more  men  and  under- 
took the  capture  of  the  fort  at  once.  A  young  lad  named  Nathan  Beman 
led  them  to  the  fort.  The  sentry  was  captured,  and  the  little  force  of  eighty- 
three  men  took  possession  of  the  fort  without  firing  a  shot.  The  officers 
were  asleep  in  their  quarters  when  a  terrified  soldier  pointed  out  the  door  of 
the  commanding  officer.  Colonel  Allen  cried  out,  "Come  forth  instantly  or 
I  w  ill  sacrifice  the  whole  garrison  I "  Captain  Delaplace,  the  English  com- 
mander, had  no  time  to  dress  and  came  out  of  his  room  as  he  was.  "  Deliver 
this  fort,  instantly  I  "  said  Allen.  "  By  what  authority?"  asked  the  British 
cai  -v  "  In  the  name  of  the  great  Jehovah  and  the  Continental  Congress," 
ri.'[)licd  the  patriot.  So  he  was  compelled  to  surrender  his  fortress  before  he 
had  learned  that  the  war  had  actually  begun.  At  once  the  men  were  paraded 
without  arms,  and  the  Americans  obtained  two  hundred  cannons,  and  a  large 
stock  of  ammunition  without  a  blow.  Two  days  afterward,  Colonel  Seth 
Warner  proceeded  to  capture  Crown  Point,  which  surrendered  almost  as 
easily  as  Ticonderoga,  and  then  an  armed  sloop  was  taken  on  the  lake.  This 
gave  the  patriots  complete  control  of  Lake  Champlain,  and  was  of  immense 
advantage  to  the  Colonists. 

Provincial  Congresses  had  been  held  in  many  of  the  Colonies,  and  before 
the  summer  was  gone  every  one  had  throv.n  off  the  authority  of  England. 

The  second  Continental  Congress  met  at  Philadelphia  on  the  very  day  " 
that  Allen  had  taken  Ticonderoga,  and  voted  a  very  conciliatory  and  open- 
handed  address  to  King  George,  but  not  to  be  too  late,  they  at  the  same  time 
took  measures  to  organize  the  Continental  army,  appoint  a  commander  and 
general  officers,  and  raise  money  for  the  war.     The  Provincial  Congress  of 


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.  ji"'' 


39^ 


OUR  NATION 


Massachusetts  appointed  a  committee  of  safety,  May  ig,  1775,  sitting  at 
Cambridj^c,  with  full  powers  to  regulate  the  army  of  the  province.  Artcmas 
Ward  was  appointed  Commander-in-chief.  Israel  Putnam,  John  Stark,  and 
other  heroes  of  the  French  war  were  appointed  to  important  commands. 

On  the  25th  of  Ma)-,  si.\  English  men-of-war  sailed  into  Boston  Harbor, 
and  it  was  rumored  that  reinforcements  of  troops,  with  generals  Howe,  Bur- 
goyne  and  Clinton,  the  best  generals  in  the  English  army,  were  in  these  ves- 
sels. 

Gage  now  thought  himself  able  to  meet  the  undisciplined  militia  bcsiej;- 
ing  him  around  Boston,  but  the  Colonists  did  not  permit  him  to  choose  his 
time  and  place  for  the  first  engagement.  On  the  Charleston  peninsula  there 
are  two  hills  within  easy  gun-shot  of  Boston,  namely.  Bunker  Hill  and  Breed's 
Hill.  In  a  council  of  war  it  was  decided  to  s'iize  and  fortify  one  of  these 
hills  and  prepare  for  the  onset  of  the  English.  The  rumor  came  that  Gage 
intended  to  occupy  these  hills,  and  fortify  them  on  the  morning  of  the  eigh- 
teenth of  June.  Not  a  moment  was  to  be  lost;  on  the  evening  of  the  six- 
teenth a  band  of  twelve  hundred  Americans  under  Colonel  Prescott,  accom- 
panied by  General  Putnam,  were  mustered  on  Cambridge  Common  for  special 
duty. 

Prayers  were  said  and  they  marched  away  in  silence,  not  knowing  wheir 
they  were  to  go.  The  men  only  knew  that  they  were  marching  jxissibly  to 
battle,  and  some  to  death.  They  passed  under  the  very  guns  of  the  British 
ships  and  reached  the  hillside  undiscovered  by  their  enemy.  They  ascended 
Breed's  Hill.  A  lovely  June  night,  warm  and  still,  was  upon  them.  Across 
the  Charles  river  now  slept  the  unsuspecting  foe.  Swiftly  and  carefully  they 
labored  to  throw  up  a  breastwork  and  build  rifle  pits  on  the  hill.  When  the 
morning  came  Gage  saw  a  long  line  of  intrenchments  and  armed  men  behind 
them,  where  the  day  before  the  untrodden  grass  waved  in  the  summer  air. 
He  looked  through  his  field  glass  and  saw  the  tall  figure  of  Colonel  Prescott. 
"  Will  he  fight  ?  "  asked  the  English  general.  "  Yes,  sir,"  said  a  bystander, 
"  to  the  last  drop  of  his  blood  I  " 

A  simple  plan  of  attack  was  agreed  upon.  The  Continentals  could  never 
sustain  the  shock  of  regular  troops,  so  an  attacking  column  was  sent  to  march 
straight  up  the  hill  to  make  an  assault  on  the  works  in  front. 

Reinforcements  were  coming  to  the  Americans;  they  were  supplied  with 
a  gill  of  powder  and  fifteen  balls  each.  To  obtain  even  this  small  supply  the 
balls  were  run  from  the  organ-pipes  of  the  Episcopal  church  at  Cambridge. 


THE  STORY  OF  ITS  PROGRESS  AND  GROWTH. 


■>\''l 


393 


At  noon  the  English  crossed  the  river,  halted  for  rations,  and  the  men  from 
their  earth-works  could  see  and  hear  them.  The  bright  uniforms  and  glisten- 
iiig  bayonets  of  their  foes  did  not  deter  them  from  their  noble  purpose.  From 
ciuirch  steeple  and  house-top,  from  all  the  surrounding  cities,  there  were 
eager  spectators  watching  the  event  of  battle.  The  well-trained  soldiers  of 
Fjigland  had  no  easy  task.  They  marched  up  the  hill  upon  that  hot  sum- 
mer's day  through  the  tall  grass  with  their  heavy  knapsacks  and  equipments, 
weighing  one  hundred  and  twenty  pounds  per  man.  When  they  were  more 
than  a  musket  shot  distant  they  fired  a  harmless  volley  at  the  patriots. 
"Aim  low,"  shouted  Putnam  to  his  men,  "  and  wait  till  you  can  see  the 
whites  of  their  eyes."  Nearer  and  nearer  the  solid  line  of  red-coats  came  up 
to  the  breastworks.  At  last  the  word  is  given  to  fire,  and  the  American 
sharp-shooters  made  every  shot  tell  with  deadly  effect.  The  English  line 
recoiled.  Once  more  they  advanced  to  the  very  breastwork  to  receive  a 
murderous  fire  from  the  patriots,  and  again  sustain  a  bloody  repulse.  Now 
they  'hrow  off  their  knapsacks  and  great-coats,  and  come  up  again  to  the 
assault.  They  are  resolute  this  time  and  will  end  the  fight  with  the  bayonet. 
The  Americans  have  spent  their  little  stock  of  ammunition  and  can  give  the 
rcd-«oats  only  a  single  volley.  They  have  no  bayonets,  and  for  a  little  time 
fight  hand  to  hand  with  their  clubbed  muskets,  but  are  soon  driven  out  of 
their  works  and  flee  to  Cambridge  under  the  galling  fire  of  the  English  ships. 
The  English  had  doubtless  won  the  day,  but  some  things  had  been  gained  for 
the  patriots;  it  had  been  demonstrated  that  American  freemen  could  contend 
with  the  disciplined  soldiers  in  a  fair  stand-up  fight.  Henceforth  the  success 
of  the  Revolution  was  a  foregone  conclusion.  George  W^ashington,  it  is  said, 
cxcliiimed  when  he  heard  of  this  battle,  "Thank  God!  the  liberties  of  the 
country  are  safe." 

The  loss  of  the  English  in  this  engagement  was  nearly  eleven  hundred, 
and  of  the  Americans  five  hundred,  yet  as  the  English  obtained  the  works 
they  regarded  it  as  a  victory.  The  Americans  who  had  up  to  this  time  taken 
up  arms  and  fought  the  English  troops,  had  done  so  without  any  form  of 
authority,  and  no  responsible  body  or  legislature  had  recognized  or  employeil 
Ihcin.  They  had  no  supplies  of  any  kind.  Their  friends  at  home  wove  and 
spun  to  send  them  clothing  and  blankets,  and  the  neighboring  citizens  fed 
them  as  best  they  could. 

The  second  Continental  Congress  appointed  George  W\-xshington,  of  Vir- 
ginia, the  Commandtr-in-Chief  of  the  Continental  Army  on  the  i  5th  day  of 


I 


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394 


OUR  NATION 


June,  1775,  and  shortly  after  the  battle  of  Hunker  1  lill,*  adopted  the  inmn- 
gruous  assembly  of  men  at  Camiiridj^'e  as  "  the  Continental  Ami}-."  W.ish. 
inj:;ton  hastened  to  join  the  army  before  Boston,  aiul  assumed  coniinaiul 
uniler  a  Ljrand  oUI  elm  at  Cambridge.  The  condition  of  the  army  w.is  a  sad 
one.  They  were  without  much  ammunition:  only  nine  rounds  for  eaeii  man 
in  the  ranks.  They  could  not  use  their  artillery,  .ind  their  rude  and  irrcj^ular 
fortifications  stretched  for  ei^ht  or  nine  miles.  The  provincials  were  imt 
soldiers  enouj^h  to  know  how  weak  the}'  really  were.  Any  moment  the 
English  mij^ht  break  their  feeble  lines  and  hurl  them  back  in  utter  confusion. 

Wasliington  saw  the  peril,  but  he  was  powerless.  There  was  an  army  of 
ten  thousand  well-trained  British  soldiers  in  Hoston.  A  noble  body  of  nieii, 
but  fortunately  for  the  Americans  they  were  ieil  by  incompetent  generals. 
Gage  quietly  endured  the  seige  without  maki;  i  move.  .Small-po,\  broke 
out  in  his  army  and  ilid  fearful  havoc.  They  were  poorly  supplied  by  the 
fleet,  and  had  to  destroy  the  very  houses  for  fuel. 

Gage  was  recalled  by  an  angry  ministry,  and  quitteil  Boston  in  disgrace. 
General  Howe  was  to  succeed  jiim.  Washington  was  at  times  almost  in 
despair.  His  men  had  enlisted  for  three  months,  and  they  fouiul  "hat  a 
soldiers  life  was  a  hard  one,  that  even  their  patriotism  ccndd  nr  .  euilurc. 
The  general  was  a  strict  disciplinarian  and  would  be  obej-eil.  When  January, 
1776,  arriveil,  he  found  himself  with  a  new  army  much  reduced  in  number. 
and  he  had  to  begin  the  wear}'  process  of  drill  and  organization  over  a_L;aiii. 
He  knew  tl.at  I  lowe  was  informed  of  his  condition,  and  he  was  constant!)'  look- 
ing out  for  an  attack.  In  February,  Congress  sent  him  a  liberal  supply  of 
arms  and  ammunition.  Ten  regiments  of  militia  were  added  to  his  liuie 
army  and  he  began  to  feel  that  he  could  make  a  move, 

The  height:j  of  Dorchester  lay  to  the  .south  of  Boston,  and  if  he  could 
secure  and  hold  this  position  he  would  be  able  to  drive  the  British  out  of 
the  city.  He  settled  upon  the  night  of  the  4th  of  March  for  the  undertaking 
of  securing  it.  He  kept  the  attention  of  the  enemy  by  a  constant  discharge 
of  artillery,  while  he  sent  a  strong  party  of  men  to  Dorchester  to  throw  up 
a  line  of  works.  Huge  w•agon^■  loaded  with  bales  of  pressed  hay  were  driven 
there  to  form  breastworks  for  the  men,  who  could  not  tlig  rapidly  in  the 
frozen  ground.  The  men  worked  with  such  energy  that  when  morning  came 
they  had  fashioned  the  bales  of  hay  into  redoubts  and  fortifications  of  quite 

*  The  troops  were  ordered  to  fortify  Bunker's  Hill,  but  by  mistake  they  fortified  Hreed's   Hill.     It 
was  supposed  to  be  Bunker's  Hill  ui.til  afterwards  and  so  it  is  often  erroneously  called  in  history. 


TIIR  STORY  OF  ITS  I'ROGRKSS  A\I)  GROWTH. 


395 


T  formidable  a{)pcarancc.  !ii  the  iiu)rnin^  General  I lowc,  peering  with  his 
plass  throut;h  the  fofr,  saw  the  works  and  said,  "The  rebels  have  done  niore 
work  in  one  night  than  my  whole  army  would  have  done  in  a  month."  1  lowe 
prepared  an  expedition  to  cross  to  Dorchester  and  fight  the  patriots,  but  for 
two  days  a  fearful  easterly  storm  raged  that  scattered  his  transports,  and  on 
th-e  third  day  he  saw  that  the  Americans  had  possession  of  the  heights;  then 
he  knew  that  it  was  impossible  to  capture  them.  He  lain  aside  his  plans  of 
battle  and  made  preparations  to  evacuate  the  city.  Washington  might  have 
taken  them  as  prisoners  of  war,  but  he  could  not  care  for  them,  nor  could  the 
Colonie-  k-ep  them  until  exchanged:  so  he  gave  a  written  promise  that  he 
wouki  not  hiniler  them  in  departing  from  the  city.  On  the  17th  of  March 
not  a  Hritish  soldier  was  left  in  the  city  of  Hoston,  antl  five  thousand  of  the 
joyous  Continentals  entered  it  in  triumph.  Seven  thousand  soldiers,  f(nir 
th  lusand  seamen,  and  fifteen  hundred  families  of  those  who  had  been  loyal  to 
the  king,  sailed  for  Halifax.  * 

Gei.eral  Israel  I'utnam,  with  a  second  detachment  of  troops,  entered  the 
city  and  toOk  possession  in  the  name  of  the  Thirteen  Colonies. 

Washington  had  learned  that  Sir  Henry  Clinton  had  sailed  from  Boston 
with  his  troops  upon  a  secret  expedition  early  in  January,  1776,  and  he  natur- 
ally supposeii  that  the  Hritish  general  had  gone  to  New  York.  He  at  once 
oriicretl  t)ne  of  his  generals,  Charles  Lee,  to  go  to  Connecticut,  raise  troops 
for  the  defense  of  that  city,  and  watch  Clinton  wherever  he  might  attempt  to 
land.  Six  weeks  before  the  evacuation  of  Boston,  Lee  had  twelve  hundred 
troops  in  the  vicinity  of  New  York,  and  was  on  the  watch  for  the  British. 

But  in  the  mean  time  the  citizens  of  New  York  had  committed  overt  acts 
of  treason  on  their  own  account.  They  had  seized  the  cannon  at  Fort  George, 
and  had  driven  the  royal  governor  on  board  of  an  English  ship.  In  March, 
Clinton  arrived  with  his  fleet  and  army  just  outside  of  Sandy  Hook,  and  on 
the  same  day,  Lee,  not  knowing  where  the  English  were,  marched  into  the 
city  and  took  possession.  Clinton,  foiled  in  this  attempt  to  obtain  New  York, 
sailed  to  the  southward.  Washington  had  not  heard  from  Lee  or  Clinton, 
and  as  soon  as  he  could  leave  Boston  he  pressed  on  to  aid  Lee  and  find 
Cliiiton,  also  thinking  that  Howe  would  sail  to  New  York.  He  arrived  about 
the  middle  of  April,  and  began  fortifying  the  city  and  the  Hudson  Highlands 
fifty  miles  above.  General  Charles  Lee  had  been  ordered  south  to  assume 
command,  and  Lord  Stirling,  an  American  citizen  of  New  York,  who  espoused 
the  patriot  cause,  and  was  of  Scotch  descent,  was  left  in  command.     Lee  was 


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396 


OUR  NATION 


h.istcniii^'  toward  the  Carolinas,  arousing,'  the  \Vhi};s,  and  (in  tb.c  lookout  for 
the  Kii<;lish  (iciu-ral  Clinton. 

Clinton  had  been  joined  at  Cape  l'*ear  hy  an  expeilition  sent  out  from 
I'.n^land  under  Ailniiral  Sir  Peter  Parker,  and  the  combined  fleet  ajipearrd 
off  Charleston,  South  Carolina,  on  the  4th  of  June,  i^jCh  The  patriots  in 
the  South  were  aroused,  and,  led  by  Colonel  Caswell,  had  defeated  an  aniu- 
of  loyalists  over  fifteen  hundred  stronj^,  in  February  of  that  year.  When  Cha. 
crnor  Rutled^e  called  for  volunteers  they  rallied  from  all  over  the  .State,  and 
si.v  thousand  well-armed  men  appeared  at  Charleston  to  repel  the  invailers. 
A  fort  of  palmetto  lojjs  and  sand  was  erected  on  .Sullivan's  Island,  and 
twenty-six  cannon  were  mounted,  and  a  garrison  of  five  hundreil  men  was 
.stationed  there  under  Colonel  William  Moultrie.  The  British  made  a  com- 
bined attack  by  land  and  water  upon  this  island,  but  were  repelleil  after  a 
persistent  battle  of  ten  hours.  Colonel  Thompson,  with  a  small  force  in  a 
battcy,  held  the  adt'ancing  land  forces  of  Clinton  at  bay,  while  the  fort 
poured  its  shot  and  shell  into  the  fleet.  At  nijjht  the  crijjpled  and  discom- 
forted fleet  sailed  away,  and  for  two  years  the  sound  of  British  ^uns  was  not 
heard  below  the  Potomac.  The  Enfjlish  fleet  sailed  for  New  York,  June  31st, 
1776,  and  the  victory  of  the  patriots  of  South  Carolina  had  an  inspiring  effect 
upon  all  the  colonists  throujjhout  the  country. 

THE    DFXLARATION    OF   INDEPENDENCE. 

After  these  months  of  fighting  there  were  those  who  could  not  come  to 
think  of  separation  from  the  home  government  but  with  pain.  Those  who 
were  native  Englishmen  could  not  but  love  the  land  of  their  birth,  and  many 
were  slow  to  abandon  the  proud  title  of  British  citizens.  The  Quakers  and 
Moravians  were  opposed  to  war  as  sinful,  and  great  numbers  thought  it  was 
useless  for  a  few  weak  colonies  to  measure  strength  against  the  power  of 
Great  Britain.  There  was  long  and  anxious  discussion.  The  land  was  flooded 
with  pamphlets  and  papers  setting  forth  the  oppression  of  the  home  govern 
ment  and  the  grievances  of  the  Colonies.  The  wisest  and  best  minds  of  tlic 
age  were  agitating  the  question  of  a  final  rupture,  because  they  saw  that  this 
was  the  only  course.  The  vast  weight  of  intelligence,  learning  and  argument, 
as  well  as  patriotism,  was  in  favor  of  this. 

Among  these,  a  man  who  wielded  a  powerful  pen,  and  aided  the  cause 
with  the  full  weight   of  his  influence  and  talent,  was  one  who  has  never  re- 


]*■' 


THE  STORY  OK  ITS  TRC^GRKSS  AND  (IROWTII. 


397 


ccivcd  the  full  amount  of  honor  (Iul-  him.  lie  hcUl  a  consj)icuoiis  place 
among  the  men  of  his  time,  and  his  jiulgment  was  considered  of  importance 
in  the  settlement  of  serious  (juestions.  We  refer  to  Thomas  I'aine,  an  ear- 
nest thinker  and  writer.  He  hail  been  but  a  few  months  in  the  Colonies,  but 
his  vigorous  mind  was  enlisted  on  the  side  of  human  freedom.  He  wrote  a 
pamphlet  entitled  Common  Sense,  in  which  he  took  the  strong  ground  that 
tlic  Colonies  ought  to  be  free.  The  Continental  Congress  was  in  session,  and 
the  time  was  ripe  for  a  decision  c-f  this  (piestion.  On  June  7th,  1776,  a  reso- 
lution was  introtluced,  "That  the  United  Colonies  are  and  ought  to  be  free 
.md  independent."  Some  opposed,  some  favored.  Pennsylvania  and  Mary- 
liiul  had  instructed  their  delegates  to  oppose  it.  The  Quakers  were  loyal  to 
the  last.  Seven  States  were  for,  and  six  against  this  resolution.  It  was  then 
voted  that  the  matter  be  deferred  two  or  three  weeks. 

On  the  4th  of  July,  the  Declaration  of  Independence  was  adopted  by  the 
tliirteen  States,  by  the  unanimous  ccinsent  of  all  the  Colonies.  It  was  a  most 
remarkable  d  -cument,  setting  forth  the  wrongs  done  to  the  Colonies,  and 
portraying  the  character  of  George  the  King,  in  the  roughest  handling  he 
ever  received,  and  ending  with  these  wonderful  words,  "and  finally  we  do 
assert  and  declare  these  Colonies  to  be  free  and  independent  States,  and  that 
as  free  and  independent  States  they  have  power  to  levy  w.ir.  conclude  peace, 
contract  alliances,  establish  commerce,  and  do  all  other  acts  and  things  which 
inilcpendent  States  may  of  right  do,  and  for  the  support  of  this  declaration 
we  mutually  pledge  to  each  other  our  lives,  our  fortunes  and  our  sacred 
honor."  To  this  immortal  document,  the  names  of  all  the  members  then 
])rcscnt,  were  signed. 

The  original  draft  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  in  the  hand- 
writing of  Thomas  Jefferson,  the  )-oungest  member  of  the  committee,  is  pre- 
served. The  Declaration  was  first  published  to  the  world  with  only  the 
names  of  John  Hancock  and  Charles  Thompson,  appeiuled :  but  two  other 
names  were  signeil  on  the  2d  of  August. 

This  act  of  the  Congress  inspired  the  patriots  with  enthusiasm.  Tho 
Declaration  was  read  by  order  of  General  Washington  at  the  heail  of  each 
regiment,  and  by  the  ministers  in  their  pulpits  and  everywhere  in  posters  and 
papers  from  Massachusetts  to  Georgia.  The  cpiarrel  must  now  be  fought 
out  to  the  end,  and  result  in  a  glorious  victory  for  freedom,  or  in  a  shameful 
defeat.  Everywhere  the  Declaration  was  received  with  shouts  of  joy. 
The  soldiers  in  New  York  pulled  down  a  leaden  statue  of  King  George  and 


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398 


OUR  NATION 


sent  it  to  Litchficlcl,  Comu-cticut,  wlu-n.-  the  family  of  Oliver  Wolcott  mc!t(\I 
it  anil  ran  it  into  bullets  to  hurl  at  the  kind's  st)kliers.  (lencral  Washinj^toii 
jsrtiicd  orders  to  his  troops,  in  his  customary  (li^;nifieil  style,  in  which  he  saiii, 
"The  General  hopes  anil  trusts  that  every  officer  and  soldier  will  endeavdr 
so  to  live  and  act  as  becomes  a  Christian  soldier  defending  the  dearest  rights 
and  liberties  of  his  country." 


m 


THE    PROGRESS   OK   THE   WAR. 

Just  after  the  publication  of  the  Declaration,  General  Howe,  with  Clin- 
ton and  a  lar{;e  force  of  troops,  made  up  largely  of  Hessians  hired  from 
some  petty  German  Princes  to  fight  the  Americans,  appeared  off  New  \n\U. 
These  Hessians  were  hired  at  so  much  per  head;  and  their  employment  in  th.it 
case  to  make  war  on  British  subjects,  was  a  scandal  to  Europe.  I'Vederick  lliu 
Great  did  not  hesitate  to  express  his  unmitigated  contempt  for  both  parties  to 
the  bargain. 

The  British  army  was  now  composed  of  twenty-five  thousand  men,  and 
General  Howe  had  brought  with  him  a  commission  to  i)acify  the  Colonics. 
They  were  now  no  longer  Colonies,  but  free  ami  independent  States.  .So  when 
General  Howe  invited  them  to  lay  dou  n  their  arms,  and  pronn'sed  them  ,i 
free  pardon,  the)-  replied  that  they  were  not  seeking  forgiveness  but  liberty. 

The  sword  must  be  the  arbiter  now.  The  British  landed  u|)()n  .Stattii 
Island,  a  few  miles  from  New  York.  With  his  tleet  Lord  Howe  could  hold 
undisputeil  possession  of  the  bay,  and  at  his  leisure  choose  his  pdint  of 
assault.  General  Putnam  was  sent  with  a  body  of  troops  to  take  and  hold 
the  heights  of  Brooklyn  which  commanded  the  city  of  New  Y'ork.  Statcii 
Island  coultl  be  seen  from  the  heights  and  after  a  while  the  English  were 
observed  moving.  They  struck  their  tents,  marched  on  ship  bi)ard  and 
crossed  the  bay  near  the  Narrows.  Putnam  marched  out  of  the  works  to 
meet  the  enemy,  for  Washington  did  not  hope  for  a  victory,  oidy  to  do  all 
he  could  to  cripple  the  enemy.  The  English  landed  ten  thousand  men,  in 
three  divisions.  The  left  ilivision  under  General  Grant,  moved  along  tlic 
shore  towards  Gowanus.  The  right,  under  Clinton  and  Cornwallis,  towards 
the  interior,  and  the  centre,  composed  of  Hessians,  under  De  Heister  marclicti 
up  the  Flatbush  road.  The  right  attacked  the  Americans,  and  others  came 
to  help  what  seemed  the  main  attack,  while  the  remaining  column  of  British 
cut  off  their  retreat,  and  the  centre  closed  in  upon  them.     The  Americans 


TIIK  STORY  OF  ITS  I'ROGKKSS  AND  GROWTH. 


y.o 


rctrcatcil  to  tlicir  intrcnchmcnts.  IIowc  ^li^,'ht  have  captured  »!,.  ,i,  but  he 
waited  for  the  co-operation  of  the  fleet  and  be^jan  a  rejjular  .sie^^e.  W'ashinj^- 
ton  perceivinj;  the  peril  of  the  remnant  of  his  forces  at  Hrooklyn,  silently 
withdrew  them  under  cover  of  night,  and  in  the  conceahnent  of  a  dense  fog, 
they  reached  New  York  in  safety.  Karly  tlie  ne.xt  morning,  before  their 
fli^'ht  was  discovered,  Washington  retreated  to  Harlem  Heights.  The  British 
followed;  fought  him  at  White  I'lains  and  captured  Fort  Washington.  The 
Americans  crossed  the  Hudson  closely  pursued  by  the  British. 

Lord  Stirling  had  been  defeated  and  taken  prisoner;  so  also,  had  General 
Sullivan.  It  was  indeed  a  dark  time  for  the  American  cause.  Scarcely  four 
thousand  men  were  left  and  they  were  dispirited  at  the  defeats  they  had  suf- 
fered. Thousands  of  their  comrades  had  been  killed,  or,  worse  than  death, 
were  crowded  in  prisons  and  prison  ships  to  die  of  neglect  and  starvation. 
This  little  army  of  men,  without  blankets  or  shoes,  poorly  armed  and  ill-fed, 
were  a  strange  force  to  defend  a  continent.  Washington  was  in  full  retreat 
to  Phihulelphia,  and  the  British  had  possession  of  New  York  and  Long  Island. 
Again  the  British  general  issued  his  offers  of  pardon,  and  many  of  the  rich 
(.oionists  accepted  them  to  preserve  their  property.  The  loyalists,  who  had 
been  silenced  by  the  popular  uprising,  now  became  clamorous  and  defiant. 
The  terms  of  enlistment  of  the  militia  were  expiring,  and  they  were  leaving 
the  ranks,  and  the  Continentals  were  deserting  every  day.  Newark,  New 
Brunswick  luul  Princeton,  were  occupied  by  the  British,  and  Washington 
naclicd  the  banks  of  the  Delaware  river  with  scarcely  three  thousand  men. 
Si)  near  was  the  vanguard  of  the  pursuing  British,  that  their  drums  could  be 
distinctly  heard  by  the  rear  guard  of  the  Continental  army.  And  often  the 
men  engaged  in  destroying  briilges  behind  the  Americans  would  see  the  head 
of  the  column  of  the  eneni)-  before  they  had  completetl  their  work  of  destruc- 
tion. Washington  knew  the  desperate  odds  against  him.  He  had  not  hoped 
to  overcome  the  British  in  the  Eastern  States  then,  but  he  resolve!  to  do  what 
he  could  with  such  an  army  as  his  country  had  given  him.  The  British 
waited  in  New  Jersey  until  the  river  should  freeze  and  they  be  able  to  pass 
over.  Washington  strove  to  devise  a  plan  by  which  he  should  win  back  suc- 
cess to  his  cause. 

The  defeats  which  had  followed  each  other  so  rapidly  for  four  months 
had  caused  the  people  to  become  uneasy  and  dispirited.  The  short  terms  of 
enlistment  had  been  embarrassing  to  the  army,  and  the  increasing  activity  of 
the  tories,  as  the  loyalist  colonists  were  called,  all  had  a  disastrous  effect. 


f': 


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Mi 

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Ml 


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i 


; 


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I', 


11 


40O 


OUR  NATION: 


1*'  3<;  ^ 


The  winter  of  the  second  year  of  the  war  had  come,  and  the  British 
general  was  inactive;  his  officers  and  men  were  enjoying  themselves  in  New 
York,  and  small  detachments  were  scattered  throughout  New  Jersey.  Thirty 
miles  from  Philadelphia  was  the  city  of  Trenton,  held  by  a  considerable  force 
of  British  and  Hess.ans.  Washington  crossed  the  Delaware  Christmas  night, 
1776,  in  a  storm,  and  made  a  hurried  march  to  Trenton  to  surprise  the  care- 
less army  there.  He  succeeded.  The  general  in  command  was  slain,  and  the 
troops  surrendered  at  discretion.  A  week  after  this  encounter,  three  rcgi 
ments  of  British  troops  came  to  Princeton,  on  their  way  to  retrieve  the  defeat 
of  their  companions.  While  they  were  resting  for  the  night,  Washington 
surprised  them  at  dawn  on  Jan  3,  (1777),  and  after  a  sharp  fight  defeated 
them  with  heavy  loss.  These  successes,  slight  as  they  seem,  revived  the 
drooping  spirits  of  the  patriots  and  restored  the  wavering  confidence  in 
Washington,  which  after  this  was  unbounded.  Congress  gave  him  unlimited 
military  r.utliority  for  six  months.  They  also  decided  that  all  enlistments 
thereafter  should  be  for  the  war.  Thus  in  the  time  of  its  deepest  peril  the 
infant  Republic  was  rescued  from  its  danger  by  the  timely  victories  of  Tren- 
ton and  Princeton. 

Thus  opened  the  third  year  of  the  struggle  with  victory  and  enthusiasm 
for  their  Commander-in-Chief,  and  soon  the  hearts  of  the  colonists  were  to 
be  cheered  by  the  arrival  of  a  new  ally  to  freedom,  and  a  source  of  strength 
that  would  be  of  great  aid  to  them  in  their  contest  for  liberty  and  independ- 
ence. 


I'   A  ,  ; 


1 

if: 

1 

•'Vi^tm  .?  1 

w 

*■•■'!*'!■ 

-i 

w  ■''  f- 

4^ 

i:'  ':l  ' 

^^'m 

JH'    '  '■  • 

i .;  j  ■ 

•BV 

tf  ji-  ■:':   . 

'fi 

li  X  'i  'i 

.;^ 

*'•'    ■■'!  .■ 

.jlM'iil-*! 

'  fM?  ■  ii»  'J 

Mk.'[iii 

wmi 

iS; 

H-  H; 


THE    FRENCH    AID   TO   THE   COLONIES. 

A  NEW  force  was  now  to  enter  into  this,  which  had  been  up  to  this  time 
an  unequal  contest.  France  had  long  cherished  ;>  bitterness  toward  England 
for  the  loss  of  her  possessions  in  Canada,  caused  by  the  defeat  at  Quebec. 
She  had  fondly  hoped  that  America  would  avenge  her  for  this  loss  by  throw- 
ing ofi  the  British  yoke.  She  had  more  than  once  despatched  to  the  Colonics 
a  secret  agent  to  ascertain  their  temper;  and  since  the  troubles  with  the 
mother  country  had  begun,  her  secret  emissaries  had  been  at  work  among 
them  to  offer  sympathy  and  give  pledges  of  commercial  advantage.  It  was 
safe  for  her  to  foster  the  growing  dislike  of  England  in  America,  and  to  stir 
up  the  Americam^to  fit  out  privateers  to  prey  upon  British  commerce.  But 
there  was  one  young  man  at  this  time  serving  in  the  French  army,  whose 
proiessions  of  friendship  for  America  were  not  all  flattery  and  inspired  by 


THE  STORY  OF  ITS  PROGRESS  AND  GROWTH. 


401 


hatred  of  the  British.  This  man  was  a  young  French  nobleman  of  large  for- 
tune and  strong  love  of  liberty.  He  was  less  than  twenty  years  of  age,  and 
had  first  hear''  of  the  American  struggle  from  the  Duke  of  Gloucester,  while 
he  was  dinin.,  with  some  French  officers.  That  conversation  made  a  radical 
change  in  the  young  man's  plans  for  the  future.  He  had  the  keenest  sym- 
pathy with  the  cause  of  liberty  in  which  he  believed  the  American  States  to 
be  engaged,  and  no  sooner  had  he  become  satisfied  of  this  than  he  was  ready 
to  ally  himself  with  the  patriot  army.  He  had  just  been  married  to  a  beauti- 
ful lady  whom  he  left  in  France,  and  came  to  America  in  a  ship  fii^ted  out  at 
his  own  expense.  He  offered  his  services  to  the  Continental  Congress  in  the 
third  year  of  the  war,  when  the  cause  seemed  to  be  at  its  lowest  ebb.  His 
presence  with  other  foreign  officers  stimulated  the  hopes  of  the  whole 
nation,  for  it  was  a  visible  proof  that  there  was  help  and  sympathy  for  them 
beyond  the  ocean. 

America  has  given  this  impulsive,  generous  young  man  a  high  place  in  her 
affection.  The  Continental  Congress  gave  the  zealous  French  youth  a  com- 
mission as  Major  General  (July  31st,  1777),  and  three  days  afterwards  he  was 
presented  to  General  Washington  at  a  public  dinner.  Here  on  August  3rd, 
two  men  met  for  the  first  time  whose  names  were  forever  after  blended  in 
grateful  remembrance  by  a  patriotic  people,  who  regard  them  as  deserving 
the  highest  love  of  the  nation.  George  Washington,  the  plain  \'irginia 
planter,  and  the  Marquis  ile  Lafayette,  the  wealthy  French  nobleman,  who 
had  espoused  the  cause  of  the  feeble  Colonics  with  all  his  heart.  Together 
these  men  were  to  phi)'  a  grantl  and  nohle  part  in  the  Drama  of  Nations,  and 
like  brothers  were  to  stand  side  by  side  through  the  darkest  days  of  !.rl.)om 
until  victory  should  crown  their  united  efforts  and  a  free  people  shouhi  ound 
their  praises  from  the  lakes  to  the  gulf  antl  from  sea  to  sea.  The  .Vmericans 
have  delighted  to  do  honor  to  the  first  and  most  faithful  ally  to  their  cause. 


■! 


nh; 


i«'ll 


I:  I 


THE   CAMPAIGN    OF    1777  .>  .vID    1778. 

Wk  left  Washington  after  his  victory  at  Princeton,  in  January,  1777,  which 
causeil  returning  enthusiasm  of  the  patriots.  He  was  too  weak  to  attempt 
the  capture  of  the  large  amount  of  British  stores  at  New  Brunswick,  aiul 
therefore  he  hurriedly  retreated  to  Morristown,  where  he  established  winter- 
cpiarters.  He  kept  up  his  plan  of  harassing  the  enemy  until,  at  the  opening 
of  spring,  scarcely  a  British  or  Hessian  soldier  was  left  in  New  Jersey  except 


402 


OUR  NATION 


{%.' 


m.'  ■ 


1 


at  New  Brunswick  and  Amboy.  No  <;cncral  nun-cmcnt  was  made  by  cither 
army  until  the  first  of  June,  and  Washin<^ton  remained  in  his  winter-quarters 
till  the  last  of  May.  His  army  was  improving  in  health  and  numbers,  in  dis- 
cipline, spirits  and  material.  A  few  slight  movements  had  been  made  in  the 
spring.  The  Jkitish  had  made  an  expedition  up  the  Hudson  and  destroyed 
some  stores,  returning  the  same  night.  They  had  also  marched  from  the 
Sound  to  Danbury,  Connecticut,  destroyed  the  town,  and  fought  the  militia 
under  General  Wooster,  Silliman  and  Arnold.  The  first  had  been  killed,  the 
second  barely  escaped,  but  Silliman  had  discomfited  and  harassed  them  all 
the  way  to  the  coast  and  inflicted  severe  injuries  upon  them  while  getting  on 
board  of  their  ships  at  Compo,  near  Westport,  Connecticut. 

May  22nd,  Colonel  Meigs  had  crossed  the  Sound  from  Guilforti,  Connec- 
ticut, attacked  the  British  garrison  at  Sag  Harbor,  Long  Island,  burned  a 
dozen  vessels,  destroyed  stores,  and  returned  the  next  day  with  ninety  pris- 
oners. A  similar  exploit  was  performed  in  Rhode  Island.  A  party  in  whale 
boats  rowed  across  Narraganset  bay  amid  the  hostile  ships  and  captured  the 
British  General  Prescott  in  his  bed  (July  loth).  and  he  was  sent  under  a 
strong  guard  to  Washington.  Colonel  Barton  led  this  expedition,  and  after- 
ard  received  a  fine  sword,  as  a  testimonial    f  his  bravery,  from  Congress. 

Thus  the  campaign  was  opening.  Congress  urged  Washington  to  lose 
no  time  in  attacking  the  enemy;  but  he  could  safely  wait  and  bide  his  time, 
smiling  at  the  vain  confidence  which  had  so  quickly  taken  the  place  of  dis- 
trusts and  almost  of  despair.  His  army  was  being  recruited  every  day,  and 
the  old  soldiers  whose  time  had  expired  were  induced  to  remain  by  patriotic 
appeals  and  the  promise  of  bounty.  By  the  middle  of  June  there  were  eight 
thousand  men  in  the  Continental  army,  tolerably  well  armed  and  clothed, 
and  under  a  state  of  fair  discipline. 

The  Hessians  had  committed  many  depredations  in  New  Jersey,  and  a 
strong  thirst  to  avenge  private  wrongs  induced  many  of  the  wavering  citizens 
of  that  State  to  enter  the  service.  Howe  desired  to  capture  the  capital  of  the 
Confederation,  Philadelphia,  and  advanced  his  army  to  do  so,  but  Washington 
was  so  strf)ngly  intrenched  across  his  way  that  he  dared  not  attempt  it.  He 
prepared  an  expedition  to  sail  to  tlie  Chesapeake,  leaving  New  Jerse}'  in 
complete  possession  of  the  Americans. 

At  the  mitldle  of  July,  General  Burgoyne,  with  a  force  of  seven  thousand 
men,  had  taken  Crown  Point  and  Ticonderoga  from  the  Americans,  and 
spread  terror  through  Northern  New  York  and  Vermont.     Sir  Henry  Clinton 


THE  STORY  OF  ITS  PROGRESS  AND  GROWTH. 


403 


was  left  in  command  at  the  city  of  New  York.  The  British  forces  under 
General  Howe  landed  at  Elkton,  Maryland,  on  August  25th,  and  marched 
toward  Philadelphia ;  and  at  Brandywine  Creek  a  severe  battle  was  fought 
with  the  Americans,  September  nth,  in  which  Lafayette  was  wounded,  just 
forty  days  after  his  introduction  to  Washington.  The  patriots  were  defeated 
with  an  estimated  loss  of  twelve  hundred  men.  The  generals  of  that  time 
were  disposed  to  blame  General  Sullivan,  who  commanded  the  right  wing, 
for  this  defeat,  because  of  alleged  lack  of  vigilance.  Washington  had  lost 
the  battle,  but  not  by  any  want  of  skill  or  bravery. 

The  British  army  was  warmly  received  by  the  Tories  of  Philadelphia, 
and  by  demoralizing  indulgence  there  during  an  entire  winter  it  became  so 
weakened  that  Dr.  F"ranklin  said  "  Sir  William  Howe  has  not  taken  Philadel- 
phia, but  Philadelphia  has  taken  Sir  W^illiam  Howe." 

The  Federal  Congress  had  fled  at  General  Howe's  approach,  and  when,  a 
bright  September  morning,  the  British  troops  marched  into  Philadelphia, 
there  were  many  citizens  eager  to  receive  them  with  open  arms.  The  British 
were  in  possession  of  the  long-desired  prize,  the  Federal  Capital,  but  they 
could  obtain  no  supplies  by  sea,  on  account  of  two  forts  on  opposite  sides  of 
tlie  Delaware  River,  a  few  miles  below  the  city.  On  the  morning  of  October 
22nd  these  forts  were  attacked  by  a  large  force  of  British  under  Howe.  Fort 
Mercer  was  bravely  held  by  Lieutenant-Colonel  Christopher  Greene  of  Rhode 
Island,  and  I'ort  Mififin  by  Lieutenant-Colonel  Samuel  Smith,  who  both 
made  a  gallant  defense  and  drove  the  British  away.  The  forts  were  after- 
ward abandoned  and  the  English  had  possession  of  the  river  to  the  sea. 
While  the  British  were  weakened  by  the  large  detachment  which  had  gone 
down  the  Delaware,  Washington  decided  to  attack  the  main  force  of  the 
enemy  at  Germantown,  and  a  complete  surprise  was  given  them,  which  at 
first  was  successful.  But  in  the  obscurity  of  a  fog,  confusion  arose  among 
the  regiments  of  the  Continental  army,  and  some  of  them  mistook  each  other 
for  enemies.  The  confusion  increased  to  a  wild  panic  and  they  fled  in  disas- 
ter. 

We  must  leave  Washington  preparing  to  go  into  winter-quarters,  and  turn 
northward  to  see  about  the  army  of  Burgoyne  which  we  left  in  possession  of 
Ticonderoga  and  Crown  Point.  This  English  general  had  set  out  on  an  expedi- 
tion from  Canada  to  subdue  the  northern  part  of  New  York.  General  Schuyler 
was  in  commanti  of  the  Northern  Department,  but  he  had  only  a  small  force, 
chiefly  of  militia.     These  men  were  of  tlifferent  temper  and  spirit  from  the 


mm 


I  v.  i 


'aSVW 


.i-^!^i 


:     f 


iii;' 


m-^v 


404 


OUR  NATION: 


citizens  of  Philadelphia  and  vicinity,  and  when  they  heard  of  the  invasion 
they  assembled  from  all  over  the  country.  Each  man  took  down  his  musket 
from  where  he  had  hung  it,  and  hurried  away  to  join  the  army.  They  wcio 
undisciplined  but  resolute  of  purpose.  The  invader  made  slow  progress  until 
he  found  himself  at  Saratoga.  A  force  had  been  sent  to  Bennington,  Ver- 
mont, to  seize  cattle  and  provisions  which  were  gathered  there.  Colonel 
John  Stark  had  been  commissioned  to  raise  troops  in  New  Hampshire,  and 
with  his  men  defeated  one  party  of  the  British,  while  Colonel  Seth  Warner 
met  and  overcame  another,  August  i6th.  Burgoyne  was  in  difficulty;  ho 
had  been  impeded  by  the  efforts  of  Schuyler  in  his  march,  was  in  an  enemy's 
country  without  supplies,  and  found  but  little  help  from  the  Tories.  It  was 
now  October  and  the  heavy  fall  rains  made  the  roads  impassable.  Provisions 
were  getting  low  and  hard  to  procure. 

The  Indians  had  been  aroused  in  the  Mohawk  Valley  and  joined  the 
British.  They  invested  Fort  Stanwix  with  a  band  of  tories  under  Johnson 
and  Butler,  and  had  led  General  Herkimer  with  his  militia  into  an  ambush, 
at  Iriskany,  and  defeated  them,  mortally  wounding  the  General.  But  the 
besieged  party  under  the  command  of  Colonel  Willet  made  a  successful 
sortie  and  broke  the  seige.  Arnold  came  up  with  a  body  of  troops  to  relie\  e 
the  garrison,  and  the  Indians  and  their  Tory  friends  fled  in  confusion. 

The  British  general  had  little  hope  of  fulfilling  his  promise  to  eat  his 
Christmas  dinner  in  Albany.  He  could  not  remain  where  he  was;  to  retreat 
or  to  advance  would  be  equally  disastrous.  He  crossed  the  Hudson  and 
fortified  a  camp  on  the  hills  of  Saratoga.  The  American  army  was  nine  miles 
distant,  at  Stillwater.  An  indecisive  battle  was  fought  on  the  19th  of  Sep- 
tember, on  Bemis's  Heights,  both  sides  claiming  the  victory.  The  British 
fell  back  to  their  camp.  Here  Burgoyne  resolved  to  wait  for  reinforcements 
from  General  Clinton,  but  after  a  few  days,  not  hearing  from  Clinton,  lie 
prepared  another  attack  upon  the  Americans.  He  was  completely  defeatetl 
October  7th,  1777.  His  army  had  become  enfeebled  by  frequent  desertions 
of  the  Tories  and  Indians,  while  that  of  the  patriots  was  being  strengthened 
by  the  militia  which  flocked  to  them,  and  the  Indian  warriors  of  the  Six 
Nations  who  joined  them.  Ten  days  after  his  defeat,  when  he  had  only  three 
days'  rations  in  camj),  he  surrendered  his  whole  force  to  General  Gates.  Six 
thousand  men  laiil  down  their  arms.  Well  drilleil,  armed  and  clothed,  the 
English  surrendered  to  patriots  who  were  mostly  ununiformed  and  fought 
with   powder-horns  slung  from  their  shouKlers,  and   with   muskets  many  of 


THE  STORY  OF  ITS  PROGRESS  AND  GROWTH. 


405 


which  had  no  bayonets.  Such  humiliation  had  never  befallen  the  British 
army  before.  But  this  American  army  behaved  with  noble  spirit  toward  the 
conquered.  General  Gates  kept  his  men  within  their  lines  that  they  might  not 
sec  the  vanquished  lay  down  their  arms.  Not  a  word  or  look  of  disrespect 
was  given  the  enemy.  "All  were  mute  in  astonishment  and  pity."  The  posts 
on  Lake  Champlain  now  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  patriots.  The  Americans 
had  gained  a  large  amount  of  small  arms,  cannon,  and  munitions  of  war. 

England  took  this  defeat  very  much  to  heart,  and  now  too  late,  they 
resolved  to  redress  the  wrongs  of  the  Colonies.  The  patriots  were  encour- 
aged, the  Tories  were  put  down,  and  France  was  urged  to  espouse  the  cause 
of  America.  Parliament  abandoned  all  claim  to  tax  the  Colonies,  declared 
that  every  obnoxious  law  would  be  repealed,  and  that  all  would  be  forgiven 
if  America  would  return  to  her  allegiance.  Commissioners  were  hurried 
away  to  bear  the  olive  branch  of  peace  to  Congress.  But  the  time  for  peace 
with  England,  as  Colonies,  had  passed  forever.  In  a  few  well-chosen  words 
Congress  declined  the  offer,  and  the  war  went  on.  America  had  chosen  to 
be  free,  and  proud  England,  whose  armies  had  been  victorious  all  over  the 
world,  could  not  tamely  abandon  her  ckrm  and  retire  defeated  before  the 
feeble  Colonies. 

The  war  so  far  had  cost  the  English  twenty  thousand  lives  and  increased 
the  national  debt  to  an  alarming  extent.  Her  ablest  generals  had  been  de- 
feated by  half-clad  and  half-armed  yeomen.  Trade  was  languishing,  and 
till  re  was  dissatisfaction  among  the  laboring  classes.  Commerce  was  crippled 
by  American  privateers,  which  attacked  English  merchantmen,  and  for  all 
this  loss  what  had  been  gained  ?  Actually  nothing  but  the  satisfaction  of 
having  inflicted  untold  misery  upon  an  industrious  and  frugal  people,  carry- 
ing sortow  and  suffering  to  thousands  of  happy  homes  in  America.  They 
had  caused  men  to  leave  their  peaceful  associations,  their  fields  unsown  and 
tiieir  shops  silent.  The  trading  classes  had  been  impoverished,  the  fisheries 
and  commerce  well  nigh  annihilate.!,  and  solid  money  had  disappeared  from 
the  country.  That  was  all  that  England  had  gained;  for  the  Americans 
were  still  determined  to  achieve  their  independence. 

On  February  6th,  1778,  a  treaty  of  alliance  jtween  the  United  States 
and  r^ance  was  signed,  and  now  the  Americans  were  not  left  to  fight  the 
powerful  British  nation  single  handed.  Spain  also  joined  with  France,  and 
from  this  union  the  cause  of  American  independence  seemed  to  be  secured. 

Washington   had  gone   into  winter-quarters  with  his  troops,  at  Valley 


■  '  .•  1 


1 ;  '^ 


4oG 


OUR  NATION 


^iN?  ■■■•,.■  .■: 


if 


i\^ 


^'- 


:  'V.    *  ■ 

f,  ■ 

'i 

f'k 

'  ..■•• ,  ■ 

h(.f 

<   ,-!■ 

liij;  (.»..... 

|w 

ForLjc,  where  his  poorly-clad  and  ill-fed  army  shivered  in  their  locj  cahjiv, 
while  the  army  of  Howe  were  passinj^  their  time  in  'uxiiry  am!  ease  w  jiiiin 
the  comfortable  homes  of  Philadelphia.  If  there  is  <\  spot  on  the  I)i(  ad 
Western  Continent  where  a  monument  outdit  to  be  erected  to  perpetuate  tlic 
memories  of  the  Revolutionary  stru<j|.de,  it  is  at  Valley  Forge.  Mere  Wasli- 
ington  held  his  army  together  without  sufficient  clothing  o**  camp  equipa"-i;, 
and  but  little  provisions,  through  the  long,  dark  period  of  that  terrible  winter 
of  ijyj-'j'i.  The  general  shared  with  his  men  the  privation  and  suffering  of 
the  winter,  and  neither  lost  hope  in  the  justness  of  the  cause,  nor  the  final 
issue.  And  when  the  fearful  ordeal  had  passed,  and  the  troops  received  the 
news  of  the  treaty  with  France  in  the  early  spring,  shouts  and  cheers  shook 
the  air  and  were  heard  for  miles  around. 

This  alliance  with  France  gave  the  Americans  great  hope  and  added  to 
their  zeal.  Nor  was  this  all,  for  the  French  government  began  active  meas- 
ures of  aid  at  once.  A  fleet  of  twelve  ships  of  the  line  was  despatched  to 
American  waters  to  co-operate  with  General  Washington,  under  the  com. 
mand  of  Count  D'Estaing.  The  British  Ministry  ordered  Genera!  Howe  to 
leave  Philadelphia  and  co.icentrate  his  forces  in  New  Vork.  Nor  did  the 
British  leave  that  city  any  tou  soon,  for  the  French  fleet  appeared  in  the 
Delaware  early  in  July.  Lord  Howe  had  sailed  to  Raritan  Bay,  off  the  Xe-.v 
Jersey  coast  into  which  the  larger  French  ships  could  not  enter.  The  British 
army  at  Philadelphia  had  started  across  New  Jersey  for  Sandy  Hook,  under 
Sir  Henry  Clinton,  pursued  by  Washington.  He  overtook  them  in  Mon- 
mouth County,  and  fought  a  severe  battle  with  them  on  Sunday,  June  28, 
1778.  During  that  night  the  British  army  stole  away,  and  were  ''ar  on  their 
way  toward  Sandy  Hook  the  next  morning.  Washington  did  not  follow,  but 
marched  to  New  Brunswick. 

Washington  urged  D'Estaing  to  proceed  to  Rhode  Island  and  assist  in 
driving  the  British  out  of  that  province.  General  Sullivan  was  sent  to  take 
command  of  the  troops  there.  John  Hancock  came  with  the  Massachusetts 
militia.  Several  English  ships  reinforced  the  fleet  at  New  York  and  appeared 
off  Rhode  Island  the  day  the  Americans  landed.  The  French  fleet  came  out 
to  engage  the  English,  but  a  storm  disabled  both  fleets  and  the  Frenchmen 
sailed  for  Boston  to  repair,  leaving  the  land  force  to  meet  the  British  unaided. 
The  Americans  retreated  to  t.ie  north  end  of  the  Island,  where  General  Sul- 
livan defeated  the  iiritish  at  Quaker  Hill,  August  29th,  and  then  to  avoid 
being  cut  off  by  Howe  retired  to  the  main  land  the  next  day. 


THE  STORY  OF  ITS  PROGRESS  AND  GROWTH. 


407 


THE   WYOMING   MASSACRE. 

VYe  come  to  a  chapter  in  the  American  conflict  which  has  no  parallel  in 
the  scenes  of  carnage  and  cruelty  that  stain  the  pages  of  history,  a  tragedy 
th;''  found  no  apologists  in  the  nation  in  whose  interests  it  was  enacted. 
There  were  in  all  the  provinces  numbers  of  persons  who  still  sympathized 
with  the  British.  Some  were  born  in  England  and  loved  the  land  of  their 
birth  bet',  jr  than  the  young  Republic  of  the  West ;  some  were  shocked  by 
the  fratricidal  war  and  dreaded  its  consequences;  some  were  conscientious 
loyalists  who  thought  the  patriots  were  guilty  of  treason;  some  were  rene- 
gailes  who  had  private  grievances  to  settle,  and  some  were  bribed  by  offers 
of  British  possessions  and  gold.  All  of  them,  from  the  peaceful  Quaker  and 
Moravian  who  would  rather  suffer  than  fight,  to  the  lawless  assassin  who 
would  kill  for  pay,  were  termed  Tories.  We  have  spoken  of  two,  Johnson 
and  Butler.  The  latter.  Colonel  John  Butler,  was  in  command  of  a  bod)'  of 
Tories  from  Niagara,  and  he  came  southward  inciting  the  Indians  to  arise 
against  the  settlers.  They  gathered  at  Tioga  early  in  June,  1778,  and  by  the 
1st  of  July  mustered  eleven  hundred  white  men  and  Indians,  the  latter  from 
the  head  waters  of  the  Susquehanna.  They  entered  the  beautiful  Wyoming 
X'alley  on  the  2nd  of  July.  This  was  a  part  of  the  State  of  Pennsylvania. 
The  strong  men  were  mostly  in  the  distant  army  on  duty;  the  aged  men  with 
the  women  and  children  and  a  very  few  trained  soldiers  were  all  that  were 
left  in  this  defenceless  valley.  Colonel  Zebulon  Butler,  a  native  of  Connec- 
ticut, who  had  been  in  the  early  Indian  and  French  wars,  with  a  small  force 
of  four  hundred  men  marched  up  the  valley  to  drive  the  Tory,  Butler,  and  his 
Indians  back.  They  were  met  by  the  savage  foe  and  after  a  fearful  conflict 
were  most  of  them  killed  or  taken  prisoners,  July  4th,  1778.  A  few  of  them 
made  their  escape  to  Forty  Fort,  where  the  families  of  the  settlers  were 
gathered  for  shelter  and  defence.  The  invaders  swept  like  a  storm  down  the 
\alley  and  surrounded  the  fort,  where,  contrary  to  expectation,  they  offered 
Inimane  terms  of  surrender.  The  families  returned  to  their  homes  in  fancied 
security,  but  the  Indians  could  not  be  held  in  restraint,  and  plundered  and 
burned,  slaughtered  and  butchered  on  every  hand.  They  scattered  in  every 
direction  at  sunset,  and  when  the  darkness  of  night  settled  '-ipon  the  scene 
twenty  burning  houses  sent  up  their  lurid  flames  to  the  sky.  The  cry  of 
women  and  children  went  up  from  every  field  and  house,  and  many  who  fled 
to  the  Wilkesbarre  mountains  and  the  black  morasses  of  the  Pocono,  perished 


H  / 


i    i 


'  .'ill 


1 1 


tin 


I  %..  f'l 


^Bfl''''"' 

^K  t'l 

^i;    I 

nHi^f 

'.^■■^'■. 

^HMff ' 

'ih  ■" 

^K|f 

1  ■ .  . 

K    1 


4C{ 


OUR  NATION: 


from  exposure  and  star\'atioii.  That  dark  rc|^ion  between  * 'ie  volley  uul  tlu' 
Delaware  is  very  appropriately  termed  the  S/i(rifiS  of  Dcaili,  Thus  was  en- 
acted the  most  shaiiieful  crime  committed  amon^  the  many  that  disLjracLil 
llic  .iLtion  of  the  Knj^lish  ilurin;;  the  war.  Joseph  Ikant,  a  Mohawk  cliirf, 
who  had  adhereil  to  the  Enj^lish,  had  ^one  with  war  parties  south  of  tlic 
Mohawk  River,  and  joined,  with  their  allies,  the  Tory  leader  Walter  Butkr, 
and  together  they  attacked  the  settlement  of  Cherry  Valley,  killed  nian_\-  of 
the  people,  and  carried  many  of  them  into  captivity.  Such  was  the  alarm  in 
all  that  rej^ion  that  for  months  no  eye  was  closed  in  security.  The  couiit!\- 
for  a  hundred  miles  around  was  called  the  dark  and  bloody  ground.  Tiic 
record  of  that  one  county  in  New  York, — Tryon  County,  it  was  then  called, 
— for  four  years,  would  fill  a  large  volume.  To  such  severe  straits  hail  the 
British  government  come  in  their  contest  with  a  united  people  fighting  for 
their  freedom.  The  Americans  had  a  great  account  to  settle  with  the  Tories, 
who  had  alreatlj  been  the  cause  of  much  bloodshed  and  miser)-,  aiul  were 
always  a  source  of  strength  and  information  to  the  British. 

THE   WAR    IN    1779  1780. 

The  Continental  army  had  gained  much  in  the  ''ormer  campaign  altiiough 
the  spring  of  1779  opened  with  the  forces  in  t!ie  same  relative  position  as  the 
spring  before.  But  the  American  army  was  in  better  conc'ition  aiul  material 
than  ever  previt.us.  France  was  in  active  sympathj-  with  the  States,  anil  the 
latter  were  learning  how  to  conduct  naval  operations  and  the  art  of  ci\il 
government.  The  power  of  the  British  in  the  St.ces  north  of  the  I'otom.ic 
was  becoming  weak  and  the  field  of  conflict  was  to  be  changed  to  the  sparsch- 
settled  .South.  The  French  fleet  had  sailed  to  the  West  Indies  to  attack  the 
English  possessions  there,  and  this  drew  away  a  part  of  the  British  force  with 
some  of  their  ships.  Altogether  the  conditions  of  the  conflict  were  bright  '  r 
the  side  of  America.  The  chief  embarrassment  was  the  fact  that  a  large 
issue  of  bills  of  credit  of  the  government  was  raj)idly  depreciating  in  \alue. 
This  Continental  currency  had  neither  the  binding  force  of  a  promise  to  pay 
in  gold  or  silver,  nor  the  pledge  of  pablic  credit. 

In  the  spring  of  1779,  Washington,  in  conference  with  a  committee  of 
Congress,  matured  a  plan  of  campaigii  for  the  year.  He  was  to  act  on  the 
defensive  so  far  as  the  British  were  coiicernetl,  and  on  the  offensive  in  tlealiiig 
with  the  Indians  and  Tories.     The  British  truoDs  were  to  be  confined  to  the 


TIIK  STORY  OK  ITS  PROGRESS  y\\I)  CROWTII. 


409 


sea  coast  and  the  ,  lulians  aiul  their  allies  were  to  he  severely  punished  where- 
ever  a  blow  could  be  struck.  The  Ikitish  had  already  sailed  to  the  South 
ami  subjugated  most  of  the  State  of  Georgia,  makinj;  their  head-quarters  at 
Savannah,  which  they  held  until  nearly  the  close  of  the  war,  even  after  the 
rest  of  the  State  had  been  recovered.  The  patriots  of  Georgia  and  South 
Carolina  contended  with  the  invaders  bravely  and  punished  them  at  many 
points,  but  were  overcome  by  superior  numbers.  They  were  kept  out  of 
Charleston  and  obliged  to  retire  to  Georgia,  when  Gener.tl  I'revost  came  up 
from  Florida  to  join  the  Ikitish  and  assume  command  of  the  forces. 

In  the  North  the  Ikitish  were  sendin<^  out  marauding;  parties  to  harass 
the  ci'. '.ens  alonj^  the  sea  coast.  Such  an  expedition  under  General  Tryon 
came  to  Greenwich,  Connecticut,  to  attack  General  l'ut'\'im.  The  Americans 
were  dispersed  but  rallied  at  Stamford  and  drove  the  invaders  back,  recap- 
tured a  part  of  their  plunder,  and  harassed  them  all  the  way  back  to  New 
\'i)rk.  An  e.xpedition  under  command  of  Sir  George  Collier  sailed  from 
llamptoii  Roads  into  the  Elizabeth  River,  and  laid  the  country  waste  on 
both  sides  from  the  Roads  to  Norfolk  and  Portsmouth.  The  last  part  of  the 
same  month  two  forts  on  the  Hudson  were  captured  by  the  same  fleet,  Stony 
Point  and  Verplanck's  Point.  These  exploits  ended,  General  Tryon  went  to 
New  Haven,  Connecticut,  and  burned  that  city,  also  East  Haven,  Fairfield 
and  Norwalk,  and  boasted  of  his  extreme  clemency  in  leaving  a  single  house 
standing  on  the  coast.  The  Americans  were  not  idle  all  this  time,  but  were 
making  ready  to  strike  heavy  and  unexpected  blows  at  different  points. 
Three  days  after  the  burning  of  Norwalk  the  Fort  at  Stony  Point  was  cap- 
tured by  General  Anthony  Wayne,  who  secretly  attacked  it  on  the  night  of 
July  15th,  1779,  with  ball  and  bayonet,  and  captured  it  after  a  strong  resist- 
iince.  This  was  one  of  the  most  brilliant  exploits  of  the  war.  Another  bril- 
li.mt  achievement  followed  this,  the  capture  of  a  British  force  at  Jersey  City 
by  Major  Henry  Lee,  August  19th  ;  but  the  joy  which  these  events  occasioned 
was  changed  to  sorrow  by  disaster  in  the  extreme  East.  Massachusetts  fitted 
(lut  an  expedition  of  forty  vessels  to  sail  to  the  Penobscot  and  take  a  fort 
held  by  the  Hritish  at  Castine.  The  commander  ilelayed  to  storm  the  place 
for  two  weeks  after  his  arrival,  and  a  British  fleet  appeared,  destroyed  the 
\  essels  and  captured  the  sailors  and  soldiers,  all  but  a  few  who  made  their 
way  back  to  Boston  through  the  trackless  wilderness. 

The  settlers  of  the  territories  beyond  the  Alleghanies,  who  had  been 
accustomed  to  fight  the  Indians  from  their  first  coming  into  the  wilderness, 


::-^Mfi;ii! 


1  'T. 


I '•'■!■> 


.1  iT  J ' . 


;  1 


410 


OUR  NATION: 


m 


t.u- 


were  fearless  and  bold,  and  now  they  turneil  their  attention  to  the  British 
outposts  to  fight  the  whit.'  soldiers.  Colonel  (ieorj^e  Ro^jrs  Clarke  (who 
finally  broke  the  powir  ol'  the  Indians  who  were  incited  by  the  Tories  and 
En^dish)led  an  e.\pedi»"">  into  the  far  wilderness  of  the  Northwest  Territory , 
where  Illinois  arid  i.i  now  are,  and  took  the  fort  at  Kaskaskia,  and  the 

strong  post  at  Vincennes,  This  had  happened  in  177S.  But  the  liritish 
from  Detroit  n-took  the  post  in  January,  1779.  Acting  as  a  peace-maker, 
Clarke  again  penetrated  a  hundred  miles  beyond  the  Ohio  River,  to  quiet  the 
Indians  in  the  Northwest.  Me  went  through  the  "drowned  huiils  "  of  Illinois 
in  the  month  of  February,  and  then  came  upon  the  fort  at  Vincennes  like 
men  who  had  droppeil  from  the  clouds.  On  the  20th  of  I<\'bruary,  the  stars 
and  stripes  floated  once  more  over  the  fort. 

The  indignation  of  the  people  was  thoroughly  aroused  by  the  massacre 
at  Wyoming,  and  General  Sullivan  was  sent  to  the  very  heart  of  the  region 
held  by  the  Six  Nations  to  chastise  and  humble  them.  On  the  last  ilay  of 
July  he  marched  up  the  Susquehanna  and  joined  the  forces  of  General  J.imes 
Clinton,  a  patriot  soldier,  in  August,  making  an  army  of  nearly  five  thousand 
men.  On  the  29th  of  August  they  fell  upon  a  fortified  band  of  Indians  and 
Tories  and  dispersed  them.  Without  waiting  for  them  to  rally,  Sullivan  went 
on  dealing  severe  blows  and  chastising  the  savages  on  every  hand.  The 
Indians  were  awed  and  spirit-broken,  for  a  while. 

The  campaign  in  the  South  had  closed  with  the  unsuccessful  attempt  of 
the  Americans  tt)  cajjture  Savannah,  The  French  fleet  was  withdrawn,  and 
General  Lincoln  was  in  full  retreat  towards  Charleston.  Thus  closed  tiic 
campaign  for  1779  with  discouragement  for  the  Americans,  as  nothing  of 
great  importance  had  been  accomplished  in  the  South.  In  the  North  the 
British  were  driven  out  of  Rhode  Island  by  the  fear  of  a  French  fleet. 
Lafayette  had  gone  to  France  and  induced  the  government  to  send  a  larger 
fleet  and  six  thousand  troops  to  America.  Sir  Henry  Clinton  saileil  for 
South  Carolina  in  December,  1779,  and  Washington  went  to  winter  quarters. 

While  at  best  there  was  no  perceptible  gain  on  the  land,  the  American 
sailors  were  achieving  wonderful  success  from  their  bravery  and  audacit)-. 
John  Paul  Jones  had  dared  to  attack  the  strongest  ships  in  the  British  na\\', 
and  had  followed  them  into  the  very  chops  of  the  British  channel.  The 
Scrapis  and  the  Countess  of  Scarborough  had  struck  their  colors  to  the  Bon- 
hoiiiinc  Richard,  the  ship  commanded  by  Jones,  and  he  had  taken  in  all, 
during  the  year,  prizes  to  the  amount   of  two  hundred   thousand   dollars. 


m 


10  massacre 


Tin-:  STORY  OK  ITS  PKOGRKSS  AND  GROWTH. 


411 


The  liritisli  had  j,'aincd  iiothiiij^  in  America,  ami  liad  a  fjrcat  weight  of  trouble 
in  other  parts  of  the  world.  Spain  had  declared  war  with  Mn^laiul.  and  the 
hands  of  the  Kn^jlish  were  full. 

The  campaij^n  of  1780  in  the  South  was  a  source  of  disasters  to  the 
Americans,  resultinj^  in  the  loss  of  Charleston,  the  whole  State  of  South 
Carolina,  the  destruction  of  two  armies,  and  the  scattering  of  a  ^'ooil  band  of 
iiulependent  rangers.  General  Lincoln  and  his  army  surrendered  at  Charles- 
ton after  a  f^allant  defense  of  forty  days.  Thus  the  Hritish  took  at  one  time 
between  five  and  six  thousand  men,  and  four  hundred  pieces  of  artiilerj'. 

Colonel  Tarleton,  a  name  which  is  hekl  in  contempt  by  all  honest  men, 
ami  which  appears  on  the  pa^jes  of  history  as  the  synonym  of  tlie  meanest 
treachery,  surrounded  a  band  of  patriots,  who  were  retreating  from  Charles- 
ton toward  North  Carolina,  with  a  force  twice  the  size  of  the  Americans, 
ami  almost  annihilated  them,  killiti^  men  after  they  had  surreiulereil  and 
wliile  they  asked  for  quarter.  It  was  a  cold-blooiled  massacre,  which  was 
denounced  by  the  liberal  press  of  F.n^dand  in  the  most  scathin^^  terms. 

General  Gates  and  liaron  DeKalb  were  tle^eated  at  Sander's  Creek  near 
Camden,  after  a  sanguinary  encounter,  and  the  Haron  was  slain.  The  flower 
of  tile  American  army  was  now  destroyed,  and  the  hearts  of  the  patriots 
were  troubled  with  anxiety. 

General  (iates  had  ordered  General  Sumter  to  command  a  tletachmeiit 
to  intercept  a  detachment  of  Hriti^h  and  take  their  supplies.  But  when  he 
heanl  of  the  defeat  of  Cieneral  Gat  s,  Sumter  fortified  his  camp  at  the  mouth 
of  the  l^'ishiuL;  Creek.  Colonel  Tarleton  fell  upon  him  and  scattered  his 
baml.     Sumter  escaped,  but  his  pt)wer  was  broken. 

But  while  these  misfortunes  were  spreading  a  pall  of  darkness  o\er  the 
American  cause,  a  man  hitherto  very  little  known  was  wat^iiiLj  a  warfare  on 
his  own  account  upon  the  Tories;  and  hanging  upon  the  flanks  of  the  British 
arm)-,  and  dealing  heavy  blows  to  injure  and  cripple  them.  lie  was  I<"rancis 
Marion,  a  partisan  leader  of  South  Carolina,  who  had  collected  a  band  of 
Southern  patrio;s  after  the  fall  of  Charleston.  He  had  been  with  the  army 
in  tliat  city,  but  at  the  time  of  the  surrender  was  at  home  with  a  ^v()und,  so 
he  was  not  hampered  by  any  parole.  He  came  to  General  Gates  just  before 
the  disastrous  battle  near  Camden  with  a  few  ragged  fellows,  more  grotesque 
ti.in  the  soldiers  of  Falstiff.  The  general  was  inclined  to  ridicule  them,  but 
Governor  Rutledge,  who  was  present,  knew  the  sterling  qualities  of  the  man, 
and  made  him  a  brigadier  on  the  spot.     The  people  of  Williamsburg  arose 


'  .  '  I  *J 


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412 


OUR  NATION: 


Mfi' 


ill  arms  and  sent  for  liini  to  command  thom.    lie  went  and  nr^^anized  his  won- 
derful bri^,'ade,  which  defied  tlie  Hritisli  power  after  the  disaster  at  Camden, 

C'ornwaliis  organized  the  State  of  South  Carolina  as  a  royal  province, 
himself  as  military  governor,  hut  he  was  so  merciless,  vinilictive  and  sclfisli 
that  even  those  who  were  friendl)-  to  the  British  fell  away  from  him.  On  tlir 
7th  lit  C)ctober  a  hanil  of  patriots  fell  upon  a  British  and  Torj'  force  undi  1 
Colonel  Fer^juson,  at  Kinj^s  Mountain,  two  miles  below  the  North  Carolina 
line,  ami  defeateil  them.  This  ^;ave  the  repidilicans  renewed  hope.  On  tin 
seab<^ard  Marion's  men  were  iloin^r  wonders  in  driving;  back  the  Hritish  an^l 
redeeming;  the  country.  Cornwallis  fell  back  to  Winnsborouyh  ami  fortifud. 
Here  he  remained  until  he  went  in  pursuit  of  Greene  a  few  weeks  later. 

Victory  after  victory  crowned  the  efforts  of  Marion  and  his  men,  but  he 
liad  confineil  his  operations  thus  far  to  forays  upon  the  eneiny.  Now  he  con- 
cluded to  try  strength  in  an  open  assault  upon  the  British  post  at  Cie<ir},a- 
town.  Tiie  partisan  warrior  was  repulsed  but  not  disheartened.  He  hail  .1 
camp  on  Snow's  Island  in  the  I'edee  country,  and  would  sally  forth  so  sud 
denly  and  attack  the  British  unawares  at  so  many  and  wiilely  separated 
points  in  such  a  marvellously  short  time,  that  they  becaine  thorou^jhly 
alanned,  and  determined  to  break  up  his  rendezvous.  This  was  not  accom- 
plished until  the  spring  of  17S1,  when  a  band  of  Tories  led  the  way  to  his 
camp  in  the  swamp,  while  he  was  away,  took  the  few  men  whom  Marion  had 
left  there  and  destroyed  his  supplies.  The  hero,  when  he  returned,  was 
surprised,  but  not  disheartened,  and  at  once  started  in  pursuit  of  tlu' 
marauders.  After  following  them,  he  suildenly  turned  and  confronted  the 
British  colonel.  Watson,  who  came  up  with  fresh  troops. 

JUit  now  we  will  turn  to  the  North  for  a  little  while.  In  June,  17S0, 
Clinton  had  made  an  incursion  into  New  Jersey,  burned  I-llizabeth  and  Con 
necticut  Farms,  and  had  been  <lriven  back  to  .Staten  Island  after  a  slvltl 
defeat  at  Springfield,  on  the  23rd.  A  French  army  under  Count  ile  Rochani- 
beau  had  landed  on  Rhode  Island  with  six  thousand  land  troops,  on  July  10, 
1780.  Lafayette  had  arranged  the  whole  affair  during  his  visit  in  I'Vance; 
and  to  prevent  any  conflict  of  authority,  as  in  the  case  of  D'Fstaing,  tlu' 
I'rench  hatl  commissioned  Washington  a  Lieutenant  General  in  their  arniv. 
Rochambeau  first  met  Washington  at  Hartford,  and  many  of  the  I'Vench 
soldiers  were  sent  to  encamp  at  Lebanon,  Connecticut,  as  the  season  had  too 
far  advanced  for  them  to  be  of  service  in  the  campaign. 


TIIK  STOKV  Ol"  ITS   rK()C,Ri:SS  AXI)  CKC  )\VTI  I. 


413 


I'lstaiiuf,  till 


TIIK    I-IkST   AXI)   ONLY   TKAITOR. 

Now  \vc  conn-  to  a  sad  cliaptcr.with  which  to  wind  up  the  record  of 
thi-  )car  i;So.  At  different  times  durinj^  the  war  the  British  officers  had 
attrmpted,  directly  or  indirectly,  to  tamper  with  Americans  of  hi^,'h  rank 
wliom  they  thou^dit  were  of  easy  virtue,  hut  not  till  the  very  last  of  the  war 
had  they  found  .1  sin^de  one  t<i  listen  to  their  advances.  Now  they  ap- 
proacheil  one  whose  personal  ambition  hail  led  him  to  aspire  to  supersede 
his  commander-in-chief,  but  he  had  faileil  in  the  attempt.  Benedict  Arnold, 
of  Connecticut,  the  arch-traitor  and  the  man  whose  name  will  ^o  down  to 
posterity  covered  with  execration,  was  a  brave  man,  but  thorou^jhly  bad.  He 
had  fouj^ht  nobly  at  the  outbreak  of  the  war,  as  we  have  seen,  and  held  a 
hi^h  command  in  the  Continental  army.  He  was  impulsive,  vindictive  and 
unscrupulous;  always  in  some  sort  of  a  quarrel  with  his  fellow-officers,  and 
unpopular  with  his  command.  When  he  was  appointed  to  the  command  of 
rhil.idelphia,  after  bein^  wounded  at  Bemis'  Heights,  he  married  the  daughter 
of  a  prominent  tory,  and  lived  in  sj)lend>)r  far  beyond  his  means.  To  meet 
the  exactions  of  his  creditors,  he  resorted  to  a  great  many  fraudulent  prac- 
tises, which  caused  him  to  be  reported  to  the  Continental  Congress.  He  was 
convicted  and  severely  reprimanded  by  a  court  martial  appointed  to  try  the 
case.  Wash'ngton  bestowed  this  reprimand,  and  Arnold,  smarting  under  the 
disgrace,  and  pressed  by  the  load  of  debt,  attempted  the  grievous  crime  of 
betraying  the  post  at  West  Point.  He  was  regarded  with  suspicion,  but 
Washington  did  not  think  him  capable  of  treason.  The  price  of  his  perfidy 
was  to  be  a  major  general's  commission  in  the  English  army  and  fifty  thou- 
sand dollars.  Major  John  Andre  was  employed  by  Sir  Henry  Clinton  to 
complete  the  negotiations,  which  had  been  going  on  for  months. 

West  Point  was  a  fortified  position  on  the  Hudson,  deemed  of  great  im- 
portance to  both  parties,  and  was  strongly  garrisoned  bj'  the  Americans. 
The  plans  were,  that  Clinton  was  to  sail  up  the  Hudson,  attack  the  post,  and 
after  a  show  of  resistance,  Arnold  was  to  surrender  all  the  arms  and  men  to 
iiiin.  Hut  th'j  final  arrangements  must  be  made  by  a  personal  conference, 
and  Andre  was  sent  for  this  purpose.  He  was  taken  up  the  Hudson  on 
board  of  a  British  vessel,  the  Vulture,  and  landed  on  the  West  shore,  where 
he  met  Arnold  at  about  midnight.  At  daylight  their  conference  was  not 
ended  and  Arnold  took  Andre  to  a  house  within  the  American  lines.  Some 
patriots  on  a  point  of  land  off  which   the  Vulture  lay,  fired   round  shot  at 


!        !., 


,1   ! 


It 

Mi' 

1 

'^'i';' 

1 

■  ;  '  1  - 

■  i/(    !    ' 

( 

I  '  ,  ;     ' 

i 

\M 


■  -j'l 


■^h 


414 


OUR  NATION: 


her  with  such  effect  th;it  she  dropped  down  the  river,  and  Andre  was  left 
behind.  He  was  compelled  to  cross  the  Hudson,  and  start  for  New  York 
on  horseback.  At  Tarrytown  he  was  stopped  by  three  young  A.inericans, 
searched,  suspected  and  taken  to  the  nearest  American  military  post  then  in 
command  of  Colonel  Jameson,  who  unwisely  allowed  the  prisoner  to  send  a 
letter  to  Arnold,  although  he  could  not  see  why;  and  then  the  traitor  aban- 
doned the  unfortunate  Andre,  and  escaped  in  his  own  boat  to  the  Vultttrc. 
Andre  was  more  to  be  pitied  than  blamed,  but,  found  in  the  vile  condition  of 
an  enemy  taken  in  disguise,  he  was  tried  as  a  spy,  found  guilty  and  hanged, 
while  the  real  miscreant  escaped.  Washington  did  his  best  to  save  the  brave 
young  officer,  but  the  stern  rules  of  war  would  not  permit  him  to  spare  one 
engaged  in  such  an  act.  There  were  dark  intimations  of  other'treasons,  antl 
it  would  not  do  to  pass  this  lightly  by.  Andre  begged  to  die  a  soldier's 
death,  but  this  was  denied  him,  and  he  was  hanged  on  the  second  day  of 
October,  1780.  The  double  traitor,  Arnold,  whose  life  was  not  to  be  com- 
pared with  that  of  Andre,  lived  and  enjoyed  the  price  of  his  treason. 

And  thus  the  campaign  of  the  sixth  year  closed  with  a  dark  plot  for  the 
betrayal  of  the  cause  of  the  American  States  by  one  of  its  own  high  officers. 


THE   CLOSING   YEARS   OF  THE   STRUGGLE. 


m 


The  events  of  the  year  I  "81  opened  with  one  of  the  noblest  displays  of 
true  patriotism  in  the  army.  For  long  years  the  soldiers  had  endured  e\ery 
privation  and  suffering  from  the  want  of  money  and  clothing.  The  bills  of 
credit  in  which  they  had  been  paid  depreciated  in  value  until  it  was  almost 
worthless.  Faction  and  disagreement  had  agitated  the  Continental  Congress 
and  prevented  needed  action  upon  important  measures.  The  soldiers  liad 
enlisted  for  three  years,  or  during  the  war,  and  this  they  regarded  as  meaning 
for  three  years  if  the  war  did  not  sooner  end,  but  the  officers  interpreted  it 
for  the  entire  war,  even  if  it  lasted  longer  than  three  years.  The  S(>l(liers 
asked  for  pay  which  was  not  given  them.  On  the  first  day  of  January, 
thirteen  hundred  of  the  Pennsylvania  line,  who  regardetl  their  term  of  enlist- 
ment as  having  expired,  marched  out  of  their  camp  at  Morristown  and  deter- 
mined to  return  to  Philadelphia  in  a  body  and  demand  their  rights  from 
Congress.  General  Anthony  Wayne,  who  was  much  beloved  by  his  com- 
mand, tried  by  threats  and  promises  to  dissuade  them,  but  they  would  not  be 
persuaded.     The  poor  fellows  thought,  rightly  enough,  that  they  had  a  right- 


j-s ,  ■  -  fi 
Iff, 


)M 


)  • 


THE  STORY  OF  ITS  PROGRESS  AND  GROWTH. 


415. 


eous  cause  of  grievance.  General  Wayne  stood  before  them  and  cocked  his. 
pistol,  but  they  presented  bayonets  to  his  breast  and  said,  "  We  love  and 
respect  you  ;  you  have  often  led  us  to  battle,  but  we  are  no  longer  under  your 
command;  be  on  your  guard.  If  you  fire  )-our  pistol  we  will  put  you  to 
instant  death."  Wayne  appealed  to  their  patriotism,  and  they  pointed  to  the 
unfulfilled  promises  of  the  Congress.  He  told  them  of  the  comfort  and  aid  their 
conduct  would  give  the  enemy,  and  they  pointed  to  their  tattered  garments. 
;ind  poorly-fed  bodies,  but  said  that  they  were  willing  to  fight  for  freedom,  for 
it  was  dear  to  their  hearts,  but  Congress  must  make  adequate  piovision  for 
tlieir  comfort  and  necessities,  and  declared  that  they  were  determined  to  go 
to  Philadelphia  to  enforce  their  rights.  \Vayne  went  with  the;n,  and  when  at 
Princeton  they  halted  and  drew  up  a  written  programme  of  their  demands. 
This  was  forwarded  to  Congress  and  resulted  in  a  compliance  with  their  just 
demands.  This  Pennsylvania  line  was  disbanded,  but  when  Sir  Henry  Clin- 
ton endeavored  to  treat  with  them  and  sent  emissaries  to  promise  them  all 
their  back  pay,  if  they  would  join  his  army,  one  of  the  leaders  said,  "  See, 
comrades,  he  takes  us  for  traitors!  let  us  show  him  that  the  American  army 
can  furnish  but  one  Arnold,  and  that  America  has  no  truer  friends  than  wc." 
Tliey  seized  the  emissaries  and  their  papers  and  sent  them  to  Wayne,  who 
executed  them  as  spies.  When  a  reward  was  offered  to  the  insurgents  they 
refused  to  touch  it  and  sent  buck  word  :  "  Necessity  compelled  us  to  demand 
our  rights  of  Congress,  but  we  desire  no  reward  for  doing  our  duty  to  our 
bleeding  country."  Many  of  them  re-enlisted  for  the  war.  On  the  iSth  of 
January  the  New  Jersey  troops,  emboldened  by  this  success,  also  mutinied, 
but  the  mutiny  was  put  down  by  harsher  means.  Congress  was  aroused  to 
action,  and  devised  means  for  the  relief  of  the  soldiers.  Taxes  were  imposed 
and  cheerfully  paid;  money  was  loaned  on  the  credit  of  the  government;  a 
national  bank  was  established,  and  Robert  Morris,  who  had  given  his  wealtii 
aiul  personal  services  to  the  country,  and  aided  in  establishing  the  national 
credit,  was  the  president.  He  supplied  the  army  with  food  and  clothing 
bought  on  his  own  credit,  antl  doubtless  prevented  it  from  disbanding  b)'  its 
own  act.  All  honor  to  Robert  Morris,  who,  though  not  a  soldier,  was  a 
patriot  and  the  soldier's  friend. 

The  military  operations  of  the  year  were  confined  to  the  South,  and 
opened  with  a  series  of  depredations  committed  by  the  arch-traitor.  Arnold, 
who  seemed  over  anxious  to  inflict  all  che  misery  he  could  upon  his  suffering 
country,  and  earn  the  price  of  innocent  blood  with  which  his  treason  had 


>      <     :|\     'I        I 
fl       V'       '     ,.      it 


I  4'. 


5  ': 


^1 


iriji-i 


m 


< "'  f<.-;.^' 


[r   "V 


ii 

3 


sy. 


4'.6 


OUR  NATION: 


f< 


ET  ," 


been  rcwarcled.  He  made  two  expeditions  up  the  James  river,  destroyinc,' 
public  and  private  property  at  Richmond  and  Petersburg;  and  although  the 
Americans  did  their  utmost  to  capture  him,  he  was  too  cautious,  watchful 
and  quick  for  them,  and  after  plundering  the  people  on  evcy  hand,  returned 
^\'\t\\  the  British  fleet  to  the  New  England  coast,  where  an  inhuman  butchery, 
equalled  only  by  the  massacre  of  the  Wyoming  Valley,  was  enacted,  of  which 
we  will  speak  hereafter. 

General  Greene  was  appointed  to  supersede  General  Gates  in  command 
of  the  American  forces  in  the  South.  The  battle  of  the  Cowpcns  was  fought 
January  i  "th,  1781,  and  resulted  in  a  brilliant  victory  for  the  Americans. 
Then  followed  the  most  remarkable  military  movement  in  the  war,  the  retreat 
of  General  Greene  through  North  Carolina  to  Virginia.  He  was  not  then 
strong  enough  to  cope  with  the  whole  British  army;  but  on  the  15th  of 
March,  finding  his  force  much  increased  in  strength,  he  fought  the  battle  of 
Guilford  Court  house,  and  although  the  Americans  were  repulsed  and  the 
British  were  in  possession  of  the  field,  Charles  Fox,  in  a  speech  in  the  House 
of  Commons,  declared  "Another  such  victory  will  ruin  the  British  army."  A 
line  in  the  Scotch  ballad  was  fully  illustrated : 

"  They  baith  did  liK'it.  they  baith  did  beat,  they  baith  did  rin  awa'." 

Cornwallis  could  not  maintain  the  ground  he  had  gained,  and  the  Ameri- 
cans retreated  in  good  order.  Greene  rallieil  his  forces  and  pursued  the 
British  to  Deep  River,  Chatham  county.  On  April  25th  the  American  army 
was  surprised  and  defeated  at  Hobkirk's  Hill,  but  Creene  conducted  his 
retreat  in  good  order.  The  British  commander,  Rawdon,  set  fire  to  Camden 
and  retreated  May  lOth.  Within  a  week  Greene  captured  four  important 
posts,  but  was  unsuccessful  at  Fort  Ninety-six,  from  which  he  retired  June 
19th.  Successes  at  other  points  were  being  reported.  Fort  Galphin  and  the 
city  of  Augusta,  Georgia,  had  been  taken  by  the  Americans  under  Major 
Henry  Lee.  Now  the  British  were  retreating  and  the  Americans  were  the 
pursuers. 

The  battle  of  Eutaw  Spring,  September  8th,  resulted  in  a  victory  for 
Greene.  The  partisan  bands  under  Marion  and  Sumter  were  winning  vic- 
tories on  the  Santce  waters.  The  French  ariny  left  New  England  to  join  the 
Americans  on  the  Hudson,  and  Washington  succeeded  in  avoiding  the  watch- 
fulness of  General  Clinton  in  New  York,  crossed  the  Hudson  into  New 
Jersey,  and  was  well  on  his  way  before  Clinton  was  aware  of  his  real  inten- 


THE  STORY  OF  ITS  PROGRESS  AND  GROWTH. 


417 


tion.  Arnold  was  sent  to  New  England  by  the  British  to  draw  Washington 
back.  Then  followed  the  bloody  and  inhuman  butchery  of  the  garrison  at 
Fort  Griswold,  opposite  New  London,  in  which  nearly  one  hundred  men  were 
murdered  in  cold  blood  after  they  had  surrendered. 

Cornwallis  was  now  fortifying  his  army  at  Yorktown  in  Virginia.  Clinton 
:;cnt  a  fleet  to  aid  him,  but  he  was  too  late,  for  when  the  British  ships  came 
to  the  mouth  of  the  Chesapeake  they  found  the  French  fleet  there,  under  Dc 
Grasse,  to  oppose  their  advance.  The  combined  American  and  French  forces 
under  Washington  and  Rochambeau  were  soon  investing  the  whole  British 
force  under  Cornwallis.  A  desperate  defense  was  made  and  repeated  sallies 
were  attempted  to  drive  the  assailants  from  their  works,  but  all  without  suc- 
cess. The  end  was  approaching.  In  a  few  days  the  defenses  at  Yorktown 
were  captured  by  the  armies  of  Washington  and  his  French  compeer.  The 
British  guns  were  put  to  silence.  One  night  Cornwallis  attempted  to  break 
the  lines  and  get  his  men  back  to  New  York,  but  was  prevented  by  the  obsti- 
nate fire  of  the  besiegers,  and  barely  escaped  to  his  intrenchments.  All  hope 
was  over,  and  eight  weeks  after  the  seige  began  Cornwallis  and  his  army  of 
eight  thousand  men  capitulated  to  the  American  commander-in-chief. 

Cornwallis  felt  the  keenness  of  his  humiliation  and  feigned  sickness  on 
the  day  of  his  surrender,  and  therefore  sent  his  sword  by  an  inferior  officer. 
General  Lincoln,  who  had  before  surrendered  to  Cornwallis  under  the  most 
humiliating  terms  at  Charleston,  S.  C,  was  detai'^d  to  receive  the  formal  sur- 
rontler.  When  the  sword  was  handed  to  him  he  took  it  and  at  once  returned 
it  to  the  representative  of  the  fallen  English  general.  The  war  was  virtually 
over;  a  little  skirmishing  was  going  on  in  Georgia  and  South  Carolina,  but  all 
was  rejoicing  and  gladness  among  the  victorious  Americans. 

Old  King  George  was  stubborn,  but  his  Parliament  would  not  sustain 
him,  and  although  a  treaty  of  peace  \vas  not  signed  until  1783,  there  was  but 
little  hostile  movement  in  America  liy  the  British  troops,  while  the  Americans 
wore  constantly  on  the  watch.  Savannah  was  evacuated  July  iith,  178::. 
riie  last  blood  was  shed  in  September  following.  Measures  were  taken  by 
the  American  Congress  and  the  lV.-itish  government  to  effect  terms  of  peace. 
IVace  was  made  with  France  ami  Spain.  The  Ame^  ■:ans  had  become  ex- 
hausted by  the  long  struggle  of  eight  j-ears,  and  could  show  little  more  than 
their  soil  and  their  liberty  in  return  for  it  all.  Their  commerce  was  dead; 
their  fields  ruined;  some  of  their  towns  and  cities  desolated,  and  the}'  had  no 
money.     The  public  debt  luul  swelled  to  one  hundred  and  seventy  millions  of 


:  (■ 


:<ir! 


i\ 


\    i 

''  , 

1 

; 

lll'lj" 


■'iJ,'! 


liH'''! 


i-i.i 


i-^ 


(71  i 

m 


i  vi 


I?';" 


.Ml    : 

r  ' 

'    ]'■■' 

;'1: 

y  ^J, 

J,  ,♦  .  • 

418 


OUR  NATION 


m-: 


dollars,  and  there  was  nothing  which  could  be  called  a  government.  Five 
commissioners  were  appointed  to  meet  the  English  commission  in  Paris,  and 
effect  a  settlement.  John  Adams,  John  Jay,  Benjamin  Franklin,  Thomas 
Jefferson  and  Henry  Laurens  were  the  five  chosen.  A  preliminary  treaty 
was  signed  November  30th,  1782,  but  the  final  treaty  was  not  signed  till  Sep- 
tember 3d,  1783.  That  treaty  gave  full  independence  to  the  thirteen  United 
States  of  America,  with  ample  territory  to  the  great  lakes  on  the  North  and 
westward  to  the  Mississippi  river,  with  unlimited  rights  to  fish  on  the  banks 
of  Newfoundland.     The  two  Floridas  were  returned  to  Spain. 

There  is  one  little  episode  prior  to  this  time  which  we  desire  to  mention : 
After  the  surrender  of  Corhwallis  on  the  19th  of  October,  1781,  and  before 
peace  was  declared,  everything  seemed  to  be  in  a  state  of  confusion.  The 
thirteen  States  were  loosely  held  together.  Congress  had  but  little  power. 
There  was  no  money  to  pay  either  officers  or  men,  and  they  had  been  fighting 
much  without  pay.  The  army  would  be  disbanded.  They  had  fought 
bravely,  heroically,  and,  as  patriots,  had  won  the  victory.  Now  they  must 
find  a  livelihood  amid  the  desolations  which  had  been  wrought  by  the  fearful 
struggle.  The  gloomy  aspect  threw  a  pall  over  all  classes.  Congress  voted 
to  retire  the  office;-'^  on  half  pay  for  life;  but  this  was  afterwards  changed  to 
full  pay  for  five  years,  and  the  soldiers  to  full  pay  for  four  months,  in  part 
pa\'  for  their  losses.  Great  dissatisfaction  arose  all  over  the  country.  Many 
attributed  the  trouble  to  the  weakness  of  a  Republican  form  of  government, 
and  desired  a  monarchy.  Nicola,  a  foreign  officer  in  a  Pennsylvania  regi- 
ment, in  a  well-written  letter,  advocated  the  claims  of  a  monarchy,  and  pro- 
posed that  the  arni)-  should  nK.ke  George  Washington  king,  but  he  was 
sharply  rebuked  for  this  by  Washington  himself,  and  it  was  never  afterwards 
broached. 

The  United  States  was  now  a  nation  recognized  by  England,  France, 
Spain  and  Holland.  Put  the  feeble  compact  claimed  by  the  Continental 
Congress,  called  Articles  of  Confederation,  could  not  long  hold  them  together. 
Each  .State  might  or  might  not  comply  with  its  demand,  as  she  saw  fit.  That 
power  could  onl}-  discuss  and  advise.  No  taxes  could  be  collected  but  h\- 
their  authority;  they  could  only  ajiportion  certain  amounts  for  the  States  to 
raise  or  not,  as  they  chose,  and  most  frc(|uentl)-  the}'  ditl  not  chose,  and  it 
became  utterly  impossible  to  raise  money  b)-  this  method.  The  hardshi|)s 
and  miseries  of  the  people  fell  with  a  severe  burden  upon  the  laborers.  The 
sufferings  of  a   patient   people  could  not  endure  everything,  and  their  ini- 


K-'!i- 


Ji ;  i 


f^il\w 


■  i 


TJiE  STORY  OF  ITS  PROGRESS  AND  GROWTH. 


419 


patience  showed  itself  in  mutterings  r.f  discontent.  A  band  of  two  thousand 
men  in  Massachusetts  arose  in  revolt  and  demanded  that  the;  collection  of 
taxes  should  cease  for  a  time.  It  was  some  time  before  this  insurrection 
could  be  put  down.  Four  or  five  years  of  intense  privation  and  suffering 
followed  the  Revolution;  and  surrounded  with  the  troubles  of  a  misgoverned 
people,  it  almost  seemed  as  if  the  war,  after  all,  had  been  a  failure. 

There  had  been  dark  days  during  the  war,  when  men's  hearts  failed  them 
and  they  sometimes  lost  confidence  in  Washington.  Reverses  and  disasters 
came  thick  and  fast,  and  he  was  retreating  far  too  much.  He  adhered  to  a 
defensive  policy  when  Congress  was  demanding  quick  and  decisive  blows  to 
curb  the  invader.  The  people  did  not  consider  the  utter  insufficiency  of  his 
resources,  but  laid  the  blame  of  every  reverse  upon  him.  But  when  the  tide 
of  battle  had  turned,  and  Washington,  with  his  well-disciplined  army,  was 
moving  on  the  offensive,  and  victory  brought  glory  tc  him,  they  feared  that 
he  would  become  too  powerful,  and,  like  other  conquerors,  assume  kingly 
prerogatives.  His  army  loved  him  with  a  fervor  that  i'.  anted  almost  to 
idolatry,  and  he  had  but  to  speak  the  word,  it  was  feared,  and  they  would  rise 
to  hail  him  king.  The  country  feared  that  he  might  prove  another  example 
of  a  successful  military  chieftain,  who  would  be  actuated  by  the  lawless  and 
vulgar  lust  of  power  which  has  disgraced  the  pages  Oi"  history. 

But  when  the  war  was  over,  Washington  sheathed  his  sword  and  resigned 
his  commission.  He  had  refused  to  receive  pay  for  his  services,  and  rendered 
to  Congress  a  bill  of  his  actual  expenses,  kept  with  neatness  and  precision, 
for  the  whole  per'od  from  the  time  he  assumed  command  to  the  close  of  the 
war.  He  then  retired  to  cultivate  the  affection  of  men,  and  to  practice  the 
(lonie,-.tic  virtues.  He  attended  to  his  farm,  and  was  thankful  to  escape  the 
burden  of  responsibility  which  official  position  must  bring.  This  exhibition 
of  noble  grandeur  in  its  wonderful  simplicity,  endeared  him  forever  to  the 
hearts  of  the  American  people.  Mount  Vernon  was  to  become  the  shrine  to 
wliich  the  feet  of  patriots  would  turn,  and  where  the  measure  of  American 
de\()tion  would  be  full.  George  Washington  had  won  the  proudest  place  in 
the  hearts  of  his  countrymen.  The  family  of  generals  who  composed  his 
staff  and  his  immediate  companions  loved  him  as  a  brother.  The  common 
soldier  regarded  him  as  much  more  than  an  ordinary  being,  and  his  presence 
would  inspire  them  with  intense  enthusiasm.  The  great  mass  of  the  people 
all  over  the  country  hailed  him  as  the  deliverer  of  his  people  and  esteemed 
him   above  all   glorious   names  of  those  who   had  won   them   independence. 


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OUR  NATION 


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Washintfton  and  Lafayette  were  the  two  names  that  hlendetl  in  all  the  public 
adclressses  and  orations  of  the  periods,  and  rested  alike  upon  the  lips  of  the 
rich  and  poor. 

THE   CONSTITUTIONAL   PERIOD. 

Washington  and  the  leadin<j  minds  of  tin's  period  saw  the  great  need  of 
modifying  or  changing  the  Articles  of  Confederation  which  had  held  the 
thirteen  States  so  loosely  together.  Congress  was  only  a  name,  and  the 
league  held  the  States  only  for  a  moment ;  it  might  be  sundered  by  any  one 
or  more  of  them  at  will.  The  lovers  of  their  country  could  discover  at  a 
glance  that  there  was  imperative  need  of  a  central  government  which  should 
exercise  power  over  all,  and  be  respected  by  all.  In  the  absence  of  such  ii 
government,  the  liberties  of  the  people  would  be  constantly  in  danger  from 
internal  dissension  within  and  foreign  foes  without.  Some  one  might  rise 
with  the  power  to  mal<e  himself  king.  Conspicuous  among  those  who  shared 
this  view  with  Washington,  was  a  New  York  man  who  had  entered  the  army 
at  nineteen,  and  had  been  the  friend  and  companion  of  Washington  through 
nearly  all  the  war — Alexander  Hamilton.  He  had  risen  to  high  rank  in  mili- 
tary command,  and  afterward  he  was  called  to  high  position  in  civil  life.  He 
brought  order  from  the  utter  financial  chaos  which  threatened  the  very 
existence  of  the  army  and  country.  It  was  he  who  first  suggested  the 
ground  work  of  the  Constitution  of  tiik  United  Statks.  He  was  the  firm 
friend  and  staunch  ally  of  Washington  all  through  the  troublous  times  that 
tried  the  very  life  of  the  infant  nation,  before  the  adoption  of  the  Constitu- 
tion. Hamilton  was  a  brave  and  skillful  soldier,  a  brilliant  debater,  a  persua- 
sive writer  and  a  true  statesman. 

At  the  suggestion  of  Washington,  a  convention  to  remedy  the  defects  of 
the  Articles  of  Confederation  was  called  to  assemble  at  Annapolis,  Maryland, 
in  September,  1786;  only  five  States  sent  delegates.  John  Dickinson  was 
appointed  chairman.  They  did  little  except  co  appoint  a  committee  to  revise 
the  articles,  and  adjourn  with  a  recommendation  to  Congress  to  call  the 
meeting  of  a  convention  in  Philadelphia  the  following  May,  to  complete  the 
work.  Congress  recommended  the  several  States  to  send  delegates  to  such  a 
convention.  The  convention  met  with  delegates  from  all  the  States  except- 
ing Ne\V  Hampshire  and  Rhode  Island,  but  the\' had  not  gone  far  before  they 
found  that  no  amount  of  amending  and  tinkering  could  make  the  old  "Arti- 


m 


11  the  public 
e  lips  of  the 


Tcat  need  of 
ad   held  the 
iiic,  and  the 
by  any  one 
iscover  at  a 
,hich  should 
cc  of  such  ;i 
dan<fcr  from 
e  might  rise 
:  who  shared 
ed  the  army 
jton  through 
rank  in  niili- 
ivil  life.    Ik- 
ed   the  very 
ggested    the 
was  the  firm 
IS  times  that 
he  Constitu- 
er,  a  persua- 

le  defects  of 
,  Maryland, 
ckinson  was 
tee  to  revise 
to  call  the 
omplete  the 
tes  to  such  a 
ates  except- 
before  they 
e  old  "Arti- 


THE  STORY  OF  ITS  PROGRESS  AND  GROWTH. 


421 


dcs  of  Confederation  "  serve  the  purpose  of  a  permanent  government.  Eor 
a  number  of  days  there  was  no  progress.  Such  was  the  great  variety  and 
difference  in  opinion  that  everything  was  at  a  standstill.  Franklin  urged  the 
necessity  of  imploring  Divine  assistance  in  a  memorable  speech.  "  How  has 
it  happened,  sir,"  he  said,  "that  while  groping  so  long  in  the  dark,  divided  in 
our  opinions,  and  now  ready  to  separate  without  accomplishing  the  great 
object  of  our  meeting,  that  we  have  hitherto  not  once  thought  of  humbly 
applying  to  the  Father  of  Lights  to  illuminate  our  understandings  ?  In  the 
beginning  of  the  contest  with  liritain,  when  we  were  sensible  of  danger,  we 
had  daily  prayers  in  this  room  for  Divine  protection.  Our  prayers,  sir,  were 
heard  and  graciously  answered.  *  *  *  The  longer  I  live,  the  more  con- 
vincing proofs  I  see  of  the  truth  that  God  governs  in  the  affairs  of  men.  I 
therefore  move  that  henceforth  prayers,  imploring  the  assistance  of  Heaven 
and  its  blessings  on  our  deliberations,  be  held  in  this  assembly  every  morning 
before  we  proceed  to  business."  The  resolution  was  not  adopted.  The  con- 
vention, excepting  three  or  four  members,  thought  prayers  were  not  neces- 
sary, because  in    his  case  they  would  be  merely  formal. 

After  long  .'.nd  earnest  discussion  the  convention  referred  an  papers  to  a 
committee  of  detail,  and  adjourned  for  ten  days.  They  reassembled  and  the 
committee  reported  a  rough  draft  of  tht  )resent  Constitution.  Amendments 
were  made,  long  and  angry  discussion  followed,  and  the  whole  matter  was 
referred  to  a  committee  for  final  revision.  This  final  report  was  made  Sep- 
tember 1 2th,  1787,  and  the  Constitution  was  submitted  to  the  Legislatures 
of  the  several  States  for  adoption.  The  convention  had  worked  for  four 
months,  and  was  composed  of  the  ablest  and  best  men  in  the  country. 
George  Washington  was  the  president ;  Benjamin  Franklin  brought  the  ripe 
experience  of  four  score  years  to  this  crowning  task  of  a  noble  life.  Alex- 
ander Hamilton  came  from  New  York.  And  with  such  men  came  many 
.vhose  names  are  held  in  enduring  honor  by  a  grateful  people.  These  men 
were  the  peers  of  any  in  the  country,  and  this  assembly  had  not  seen  its 
equal  since  the  Congress  which  adopted  the  "  Declaration  of  Independence  " 
had  met  in  the  same  hall  eleven  years  before.  Their  great  work  had  gone 
out  to  the  country,  and  the  people  were  divided  in  sentiment  upon  it.  There 
were  many  true  patriots  and  lovers  of  their  country  who  were  opposed  to  it. 
They  were  strong  in  their  argument,  and  conscientious  in  their  opposition. 
Some  feared  the  most  those  evils  which  would  arise  from  a  weak  government, 
and  sought  relief  from  this  in  a  close  union  of  the  States  under  a  strong  cen- 


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OUR  NATION 


tral  govcnmcnt,  and  some  feared  the  example  of  the  over-governed  nations 
of  Europe  and  hestitated  to  give  too  much  power  to  the  central  government 
for  fear  that  a  despotism  might  arise.  State  sovereignty,  sectional  interests, 
and  radical  democracy,  all  had  their  advocates,  and  were  united  only  in 
opposing  the  ratification.  Hamilton  wrote  pamphlets  and  articles  for  tliu 
public  press  in  its  favor.  Washington  threw  the  whole  wi'ight  of  his  influ- 
ence in  its  favor.  Richard  Henry  Lee  of  Virginia  was  one  of  the  most  per- 
sistent  onposers  of  the  Constitution.  E.xcitement  ran  high.  Somewhat 
reluctant!^',  and  in  many  cases  by  bare  majorities,  the  States  all  ratified  it. 
and  it  becam.e  the  organic  law  of  the  land.  At  once,  ten  amendments  were 
proposed  to  meet  the  views  of  those  who  were  apprehensive  of  too  much 
power  in  the  central  government.  A  trial  of  its  powers  for  nearly  a  century 
has  demonstrated  the  wisdom  of  those  men  who  devised  it,  and  asked  the 
blessing  of  God  upon  their  deliberations. 

This  Constitution  is  the  supreme  law  of  the  Ian  '.  Under  its  authority 
the  President,  the  Congress,  ami  the  Judiciary  act ;  and  all  the  laws  passed 
must  be  in  conformity  to  it.  Congress  may  pass  an  act  unanimously  and  the 
President  heartily  sign  it,  but  if  the  Supreme  Court  decide  that  it  is  contrarv 
to  the  Constitution,  it  has  no  binding  force  as  law,  and  can  never  be  exe- 
cuted. The  'Treat  love  of  law  which  predominates  in  the  Anglo-Saxon  race 
has  caused  a  reverence  for  this  document  which  rouses  the  nation  to  arms 
when  once  it  is  assailed. 

When  eleven  States  had  ratified  this  Constitution,  the  Continental  Con- 
gress took  measures  to  carry  it  out,  and  fixed  the  time  for  choosing  the  elec- 
tors of  President  and  Vice  President.  They  provided  for  an  organization  of 
the  new  form  of  government,  and  a  transfer  of  their  power.  On  the  fourth 
da\-  of  March  the  NATIONAL  CoNsrrrr  I'loN  became  the  supreme  law  of  the 
laiid,  and  the  Continental  Congress  passed  out  of  existence.  This  was  the 
commcncen-.ent  of  the  glorious  career  of  the  United  States  as  a  nation. 

One  thing  we  should  mention  before  passing  to  the  Administration  of 
the  first  President.  The  okl  Congress  had  organized  a  territorial  government 
for  the  vast  region  northwest  of  the  Ohio  river.  In  the  bill  in  which  this  was 
done  there  were  man\-  important  provisions.  It  contained  a  prcnision  strik- 
ing at  the  old  English  law  of  primogeniture,  in  which  estates  descended  to 
the  eldest  born.  Instead  of  this  law  another  was  niaile  which  divided  the 
property  among  all  the  children,  or  the  next  of  kin.  It  also  declaretl  that 
"there  shall   neither  be  sla\er)'  nor  iiv.oluntar)'  servitude  in  said  territory, 


THE  STORY  OF  ITS  PROGRESS  AND  GROWTH. 


423 


otherwise  than  in  punishment  for  crime  whereof  the  party  shall  be  duly  con- 
victed." This  was  adopted  July  13th,  1787,  and  very  soon  a  mighty  tide  of 
iinniijjration  began  to  flow  into  that  fertile  region,  amounting  to  twenty 
tliDusand  in  one  year — 1788. 

THE  ADMINISTRATION   OF   WASHINGTON. 

W'llKN'  the  vote  of  electors  was  opened  by  Congress  it  was  found  that 
George  Washington  had  been  unanimously  elected  for  President,  and  John 
Adams  for  Vice  President  of  the  United  States. 

There  was  much  work  to  be  done  to  get  the  new  machine  of  government 
into  working  order.  The  first  serious  question  was  what  to  do  with  the 
public  debt.  Washington,  perplexed,  asked  a  friend,  "  What  is  to  be  done 
about  this  heavy  debt  ?  "  "  There  is  but  one  man  in  America  can  tell  you," 
iLplied  his  friend ,"  and  that  is  Alexander  Hamilton."  The  subject  of  the 
tariff  was  brought  forward  by  James  Madison,  the  acknowledged  leader  of 
the  House  of  Representatives,  two  days  after  the  vote  of  President  and  Vice 
I'resident  had  been  counted.  He  proposed  a  tax  on  tonnage  and  a  duty  on 
fi)rcign  goods  brought  into  the  United  States,  that  were  favorable  to  Ameri- 
can shipping.  Then  three  executive  departments  were  organized,  namely,  of 
tlic  Triixsitrvt  of  War,  and  of  Foreign  Affairs,  at  the  head  of  each  was  a  secre- 
tary. These  were  to  be  appointed  by  the  President  with  the  concurrence  of 
the  Senate,  and  should  form  his  advisory  council,  and  report  in  writing  when 
recpiired.  Alexander  H;imilton  was  appointed  Secretary  of  the  Treasury, 
lie  was  the  most  abL*  financier  of  his  time,  and  made  those  remarkable 
reports  wliich  for  years  formed  the  financial  policy  of  the  national  govern- 
ment. He  proposed  the  funding  of  all  the  public  debt,  registered  and  unreg- 
istered; the  payment  of  the  interest;  the  redemption  of  the  Continental 
money,  and  the  assumption  of  the  State  debts.  The  government  certificates 
;nul  Continental  money  had  depreciated  from  their  face  value,  and  were  held 
by  speculators  who  had  bought  them  at  a  low  price,  and  some  thought  that 
tlie  government  ought  not  to  i)ay  full  price  for  them,  but  Hamilton  wisely 
claimed  that  the  public  credit  was  concerned  in  its  full  redemption.  All 
these  outstanding  tlebts  were  to  be  funded,  and  interest  paid  at  six  per  cent, 
until  the  government  should  be  able  to  pay  the  principal.  A  sinking  fund 
was  formed  by  appropriating  the  reccijjts  of  post  ofifices,  and  it  was  pro- 
phesied that  in  five  years  the  United  States  could  borrow  money  in  Europe 


i :' 

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424 


OUR  NATION 


at  five  per  cent.  A  system  of  revenue  from  imports  .ind  internal  duties  was 
devised  by  Hamilton.  All  of  his  proposed  measures  were  adopted  by  Con- 
gress  at  their  second  session. 

While  the  House  was  at  work  on  the  revenues,  the  Senate  were  en^M^rcd 
on  the  problem  of  the  judiciary.  Senator  Ellsworth,  of  Connecticut,  proposed 
a  measure  which  was  adoptetl,  with  some  changes.  Webster  afterward  said 
of  Hamilton,  in  his  eloquent  style,  "  He  smote  the  rock  of  national  resources 
and  abundant  streams  of  revenue  pushed  forth.  He  touched  the  dead  corpse 
of  the  public  credit  and  it  spranj^  upon  its  feet." 

The  vijfor  of  a  {government,  so  unlike  the  old  Congress,  renewed  tiio 
public  confidence,  and  commerce  be^^an  at  once  to  improve.  Ships  were 
built,  and  in  a  few  years  the  new  fla^^  was  floating  on  almost  every  sea  and  in 
every  port.  The  people  at  home  were  recovering  from  their  poverty  imposed 
by  the  war.  Agriculture  antl  manufactures  were  prosperous,  and  a  steady 
stream  of  immigration  from  the  coast  westward  was  opening  up  the  wonder- 
ful resources  of  the  regions  beyond  the  Alleghanies  and  Ohio  river.  North 
Carolina  and  Rhode  Island,  the  only  States  which  had  not  adopted  the  Con- 
stitution, now  came  into  the  Union,  the  first,  November,  1789,  and  the  latter 
May  29,  1790. 

The  third  session  of  the  first  Congress  met  in  December,  1790,  and  found 
all  departments  of  government  in  good  condition,  ample  revenue  coming  in, 
and  general  prosperity  on  all  sides.  During  this  session,  the  first  of  a  long 
list  of  States  which  should  come  in  to  swell  the  original  thirteen  was  admitted. 
Vermont  came  into  the  Union  February  i8th,  1791,  and  the  territory  south- 
west of  the  Ohio  was  formed.  A  national  currency  was  established.  The 
question  of  a  national  coinage  of  money  was  decided  at  the  first  session  of 
the  second  Congress,  and  a  mint  was  established  at  Philadelphia.  The  post 
ofifice  department  was  organized  at  this  session,  but  the  Postmaster  General 
was  not  made  a  cabinet  ofificer  until  1829.  Most  of  the  first  term  of  Wash- 
ington as  President  was  taken  up  in  getting  the  government  into  working 
oriier,  but  such  was  the  moderation,  wisdom,  and  patriotism  of  these  grand 
men  who  performed  this  gigantic  but  novel  work,  in  which  the)-  had  no 
model  to  guide  them,  that  but  few  changes  have  had  to  be  made,  and  none  of 
these  few  were  in  any  degree  radical. 

There  had  been  some  disturbance  with  the  Indians  in  the  northwest,  in- 
cited by  emissaries  from  the  British,  who  still  held  some  of  the  posts  on  the 
frontier,  contrary  to  the  provisions  of  the  treaty  of  Paris.     Open  hostilities 


Till":  STORY  OF  ITS  PR0(;RI:SS  AM)  (iROWTIl. 


425 


be^an  in  1790,  and  General  St.  Clair,  the  ffovcrnor  of  tlic  Territory,  with  two 
tlioiisaiul  troops,  was  surprised  and  defeated  in  Darke  county,  Ohio,  Novem- 
ber 4,  1791.  General  Anthony  Wa)'ne  was  sent  to  take  conunand  and  punish 
the  sava^a-s,  which  he  did  so  effectually  that  they  caused  little  trouble  after- 
wards until  the  war  of  1812  15.  Kentucky  was  admitted  to  the  Union  June 
1st.  1792. 

Tarty  spirit  assumed  definite  form  durinfj  the  second  session  of  the 
Second  Congress,  just  as  the  first  term  of  Washington  was  coming  to  ;m  end. 
Alexander  Hamilton  and  Thomas  Jefferson  were  the  two  men  around  whom 
two  political  organizations  began  to  crystallize.  They  were  both  members  of 
Washington's  cabinet.  Hamilton  became  the  leader  of  the  Federalists  and 
Jefferson  of  the  Republicans.  The  F'ederalists  believed  in  a  strong  central 
government,  and  would  concentrate  the  power  of  the  national  government, 
while  the  Republicans  would  distribute  the  power  among  the  States.  Hence 
arose  the  strife  between  the  two,  and  the  country  was  being  stirred  by  bitter 
discussion.  In  the  heat  of  this  e,\citemcnt  the  second  presidential  election 
came  on.  Washington  and  Adams  were  re-elected  by  large  majorities.  The 
Republicans  were  gaining  in  numbers  and  strength,  and  when  the  FVench 
Republic  had  declared  war  .igainst  England,  .Spain  and  Holland,  Genet  came 
fioni  I'rance  to  procure  aid  and  sympathy  from  America.  The  Republicans 
am!  many  Federalists  received  him  with  open  arms,  and  he  began  to  fit  out 
privateers  to  fight  England  and  Spain.  Washington  prudently  issued  a  pro- 
clamation of  neutrality,  May  9th,  1793,  but  Genet  insisted  upon  carr)'ing  out 
his  schemes,  and  tried  to  excite  hostility  between  our  people  and  their  own 
g()\ernnient.  Washington  finally  retpiested  his  government  to  recall  him, 
which  was  done,  and  the  French  assured  the  United  States  that  their  govern- 
ment disapproved  of  the  course  Genet  had  taken. 

The  first  insurrection  against  the  government  arose  in  Pennsylvania,  and 
is  called  the  "  Whiskey  Rebellion."  It  was  caused  by  Congress  imposinj-T  an 
excise  duty  on  domestic  liquors.  This  measure  was  very  unpopular,  and 
awakened  opposition.  The  insurrection  broke  out  in  the  western  part  of 
I'ennsylvania  and  spread  over  all  that  portion  of  the  State,  and  into  Virginia. 
7\t  one  time  six  or  seven  thousand  men  were  under  arms.  The  local  militia 
were  powerless,  or  in  sympathy  with  the  rebels.  Washington  issued  two 
l)r()clamations  to  them  to  disperse,  but  seeing  that  they  would  not  disband 
by  peaceful  means,  he  ordered  out  a  large  body  of  militia  from  New  Jersey, 
Pennsylvania,   Maryland   and   Virginia,  under  command   of  General    Henry 


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426 


OUR  NATION: 


Lcc,  wliich  quelled  the  rebellion,  ;iiul  thus  the  trouble  that  hail  threatLiicd 
the  stability  of  the  j^overniuent  was  averliil. 

AiU)tlK'r  tlark  cloud  arose  above  the  horizon,  r.nt;l.uul  and  Aiikn\ii 
accused  each  other  of  infrinj^dn^^  upon  the  terms  of  the  treaty  of  17X3.  1  lu. 
United  States  claimed  that  the  Hritish  had  not  indemnified  them  for  ne^jmcs 
carried  away  at  the  close  of  the  war.  That  Hritish  posts  on  the  frontier  were 
maintained  contrary  to  treaty.  They  had  been  inciting  the  Indians  to  hns- 
tility,  and  in  the  war  with  France  the  neutrality  of  our  ships  had  l)ceii 
violated.  The  Hritish  claimed  that  the  Unitetl  States  h.id  not  done  as  tlity 
agreed  concerning  the  property  of  loyalists,  and  the  debts  contracted  in 
England  prior  to  the  Revolution.  War  seemed  inevitable,  and  was  diil^ 
averted  by  the  prudence  aiul  wisdom  of  Washinj^ton,  who  sent  John  Ja)-  .is 
envoy  extraordinary  to  England,  to  compromise  and  settle.  He  effected  the 
best  i'.tianj^ement  he  could  by  which  the  Hritish  mi{^ht  collect  all  tlebts  act- 
ually due  them  before  the  war,  but  the  United  States  would  not  pa)-  for  thi.- 
slaves  taken  away.  The  Hritish  would  pay  for  unlawful  seizure  in  tiic  war 
with  Trance,  and  evacuate  the  forts  on  the  frontier.  This  treat)'  was  ndt 
satisfactory  to  most  of  the  people,  but  Congress  ratified  it  on  the  J4tli  <if 
June,  1795.  Soon  afterwards  John  Ja)'  j)rf)ved  his  ability  and  patriotism  by 
concluding  a  treaty  with  Spain,  by  which  the  United  States  j;ained  tin.'  fne 
use  of  the  Mississippi  River  and  the  port  of  New  Orleans  for  ten  \cars. 
Throujjh  the  wjiole  of  Washiuj^ton's  administration,  the  j^reatest  prucknce, 
circumspection  and  wisdom  were  neetled.  No  sooner  had  one  difficulty 
been  surmounted  than  another  appeareil.  The  infant  commerce,  which  was 
spreading  all  over  the  world,  was  attacked  by  the  Alj^erian  i)irates,  who  cap- 
tured larije  numbers  of  American  sailors,  and  held  them  in  sla\er\-  in  llic 
Barbary  States,  until  their  ransom  was  paid.  This  Ljave  rise  to  efforts  to 
establish  a  nav)'.  After  many  attempts  had  been  made,  Conj^ress  fiiiall)-, 
in  the  spring  of  1794,  passed  a  law  creating  a  nav)-  ami  appropriating  se\cii 
hundred  thousand  dollars  to  build  and  ecpiip  vessels.  In  the  absence  nf  the 
proposed  navy,  the  United  States,  in  common  with  other  goxernmciits, 
entered  into  a  treaty  to  pay  the  Dey  of  Algiers  an  annual  tribute  for  the 
ransom  of  captives  taken  by  his  pirates. 

Washington's  administration,  which  was  drawing  to  a  close,  had  been  one 
of  incessant  care  and  action.  The  two  parties  that  ha>I  arisen  during  his 
administration  were  ready  to  enter  the  political  contest  when  W^ashingtoii 
issued  his  famous  Farewell  Address.     After  retiring  from  ofifice  he  lived  for 


id  been  one 


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ic  lived  for 


TIIK  STORY  OI-    ITS  I'R{)C,Ri:SS  AM)  (;R()\V'ni. 


4-' 7 


nearly  three  years  at   his  home,  Mount  Vernon,  ami  ilied   iJeceniber   14th, 
1799- 

THE   ADMINISTRATION   OF  JOHN  ADAMS. 

The  two  parties  had  but  little  time  to  eiij,'a;^'e  in  thf  contest  for  the 
election  of  a  successor  to  Washint^toii  after  the  publication  of  his  I*\ire\vell 
Address  in  September,  for  the  election  came  in  November.  The  contest  was 
sharp  and  earnest,  and  resulted  in  a  victory  for  both  sides.  John  Adams  was 
elected  President,  and  Thomas  Jefferson,  Vice  President.  They  were  in- 
aujjurated  March  4th,  1797,  and  were  confronted  at  the  very  outset  of  their 
ailministration  by  a  threatened  war  with  France.  The  French  Directory, 
which  had  the  mana^'ement  of  j,'overnment  at  the  time,  hat!  orilered  I'inckiiey, 
the  American  minister,  to  leave  the  country;  depredations  were  committed 
upon  American  commerce  and  the  French  minister  hatl  'nsulted  the  United 
States.  Adams  took  very  decided  and  active  measures  to  redress  the  wron^'. 
He  sent  three  ministers  to  France  to  settle  the  difificult)-,  with  Pinckney  at 
their  heail.  The  French  would  not  treat  with  them,  and  the  Americans  made 
rcaily  for  war.  The  navy  was  finished  and  ships  put  in  commission.  A  larjje 
land  force  was  collected  and  ecpiipped,  aiul  there  '.vas  a  naval  battle  in  which 
the  I*'rench  man-of-war  was  contpiered.  Hut  there  had  been  no  formal  decla- 
ration of  war,  and  the  F'rench  Republic,  seeinj^  the  strong;  position  of  the 
L'liiteil  States,  receded  and  made  overtures  of  settlement.  Three  envoys 
wire  sent  and  conferred  with  Napoleon,  and  concluded  a  treaty  of  friendship 
ami  peace.  The  ambassadors  returned  to  America,  and  the  army  was  ilis- 
u.iiuled. 

Two  very  unpopular  measures  were  passed  by  the  administration  known 
as  the  Alien  and  Sedition  laws,  which  were  repealed  the  ne.xt  year. 

The  death  of  Washington  in  the  last  month  of  the  century  was  a  sad 
bereavement  to  the  country,  and  every  party  voice  was  hushed  in  silence 
while  tile  nation  did  honor  to  his  memory.  Napoleon,  then  First  Consul  of 
l'"r.mce,  rendered  honor  to  his  memor)-  in  a  General  Order  to  his  ami)'  in 
which  he  said,  "Washington  is  dead  I  This  ijreat  man  fought  a^^ainst 
tyrann)-;  he  established  the  liberties  of  his  country.  His  memory  will  alwa\-s 
be  dear  to  the  French  people  as  it  will  be  to  all  free  men  of  the  two  worlds; 
and  especially  to  French  soldiers,  who,  like  him  and  the  American  soldiers, 
liave  combated  for  liberty  and  equality." 

The  Couj^ress  of  the  United  States,  and  the  Legislatures  of  all  the  States, 


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OUR  NATION 


united  with  tl'e  whole  people  all  over  the  land  in  paying  the  highest  tribute 
to  his  memory. 

In  the  year  1800  the  second  enumeration  of  the  population  was  taken, 
and  the  census  reported  5,319.762,  an  increase  in  ten  years  of  thirty  per  cent. 

There  came  another  Presidential  election  in  which  party  spirit  ran  hi^h. 

The  Democratic  party  nominated  Thomas  JefTerson  for  President  and 
Aaron  Burr  for  Vice  President;  and  the  Federalists  nominated  John  Adams 
and  C.  C.  Pinckney.  There  was  no  election  in  the  electoral  college,  and  it 
was  sent  to  the  House  of  Representatives.  After  a  severe  struggle,  in  which 
thirty-five  ballots  were  taken,  Mr.  Jefferson  was  elected  President.  Aaron 
Burr  was  chosen  Vice  President,  by  the  House  of  Representatives. 


u 


THE   ADMINISTRATION    OF   THOMAS   JEFFERSON. 

The  inauguration  address  of  Mr.  Jefferson  was  waited  for  with  much 
anxiety  by  the  people  throughout  the  country,  as  he  was  the  first  exponent 
of  the  new  party  who  had  been  raised  to  the  chief  magistracy  of  the  land. 
He  surprised  all  classes  by  the  manly  and  conservative  views  which  he 
uttered,  and  at  once  all  fears  were  allayed.  Although  he  made  some  re- 
movals from  office  and  set  vigorously  at  work  to  reform  abuses  and  irregu- 
larities, his  measures  were  so  conciliatory  and  just  that  many  Federalists 
came  over  to  his  party  and  heartily  supported  his  administration.  The 
obnoxious  laws  were  repealed.  The  diplomatic  system  was  put  on  a  better 
footing,  the  judiciary  was  revised,  certain  ofifices  were  abolished,  and  vigor 
and  enlightened  views  marked  the  beginning  of  his  term.  One  State  and  two 
territories  were  added  to  the  Union  in  his  first  term  of  office.  Ohio  was 
admitted  in  the  fall  of  1802,  and  the  territories  of  Louisiana  and  New- 
Orleans  were  organized  in  the  vast  domain  of  Louisiana  purchased  of  France 
for  fifteen  million  dollars.  This  bargain  had  been  effected  in  April,  1803, 
and  the  United  States  took  peaceful  occupation  of  the  land  in  the  autumn  of 
the  same  year.  It  contained  eighty-five  thousand  mixed  population  ami 
forty  thousand  negroes. 

A  naval  expedition  was  sent  out  to  the  Mediterranean  to  put  an  end  to 
the  infamous  extortion  of  tribute  from  the  United  States  for  the  redemption 
of  American  sailors  held  in  slavery  by  the  Barbary  States. 

Captain  Bainbridge  went  to  Algiers  in  i8cxD  with  the  tribute  money,  and 
when  it  was  paid  the  Dey  demanded  the  use  of  his  ship  to  carry  an  ambassa- 


THE  STORY  OF  ITS  PROGRESS  AND  GROWTH. 


429 


;licst  tribute 


dor  to  Constantinople.  When  Kainbri(l<;c  refused,  tlie  Dcy  replied,  "  You 
pay  mc  tribute,  b\'  whicl;  you  become  my  slaves,  and  therefore  I  have  a  rit^ht 
to  order  you  as  I  think  jiroper."  AlthouL^h  the  captain  v.as  obligcxl  to  com- 
ply with  that  demand,  the  insult  resulted  in  a  severe  punishment,  which  a 
few  \-ears  later  put  an  end  to  white  slavery  in  the  Barbary  States.  It  is  hard 
for  us  to  realize  that  even  in  the  nineteenth  century  our  countrj-men  have 
been  held  in  {j^reat  numbers  in  the  most  degrading  slavery  in  the  north  of 
Africa.  The  merchantmen  who  displayed  the  American  flag  made  their 
ai)pearance  in  the  Mediterranean  directly  after  the  Revolution.  The  pirates 
of  the  Barbary  States  would  attack  them,  and  when  captured  would  sell  the 
seamen  into  slavery.  There  were  thousands  of  sailors  from  New  England 
and  the  Atlantic  coast  thus  held  when  the  century  began.  The  indignation 
of  the  United  States  was  aroused,  and  they  determined  to  put  an  end  to  the 
infamy,  which  the  government  of  Europe  had  long  tolerated  at  their  very 
doors.  In  1803  Commodore  Preble  w^s  sent  to  humble  the  pirates.  After 
bringing  Morocco  to  terms,  he  went  to  '1  ripoli.  There  he  had  the  misfortune 
to  lose  a  large  vessel,  the  PhiladclpJiia,  which  struck  upon  a  rock,  and  before 
he  could  be  got  off  she  was  captured.  The  ofificers  were  treated  as  p'-'soners 
of  war,  but  the  crew  were  sold  into  slavery.  The  next  year,  1804,  this  disas- 
ter was  somewhat  repaired.  Lieutenant  Decatur  with  seventy-six  volunteers, 
entered  the  harbor  of  Tripoli  and  boarded  the  Pldladilphia,  drove  off  her 
captors,  and  setting  fire  to  her,  made  their  escape  without  losing  a  man. 
This  gallant  act  received  ample  acknowledgment  from  the  Navy  and  the 
home  government. 

In  the  first  term  of  Mr.  Jefferson  the  first  exploration  to  the  Pacific  was 
organized,  and  sent  out  under  the  command  of  Captain  Lewis  and  Clarke. 
They  left  the  Mississippi  the  14th  of  May,  1S04. 

Mr.  Jefferson  was  re-elected  for  a  second  term,  but  Mr.  Burr,  who  had 
displeased  the  Democratic  party,  was  not  nominated  by  them,  and  George 
Clinton  was  elected  Vice  President.  Burr,  in  anger,  and  feeling  that  he  had 
lost  the  confidence  of  the  jK'ople,  resolved  apparently  to  cause  a  revolt  in  the 
regions  southwest  of  the  Mississippi.  He  had  murdered  Alexander  Hamilton 
ir.  a  duel  July  ii,  1804,  and  was  generall)'  shunned  by  all  classes.  The  sup- 
posed attempt  of  Burr  against  the  Government  failed.  He  was  tried  for 
treason,  hut  was  actpiitted.     It  was  not  proven.  . 

There  were  some  indications  of  a  war  with  Spain,  but  it  was  providen- 
tially averted.     The  United  States  were  continually  irritated  by  the  British 


n 


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430 


OUR  NATION 


ni. 


claim  to  a  ritjlit  to  search  AiTiLMican  vessels  and  take  away  any  suspected 
deserters  from  their  army  or  navy.  An  act  of  partial  non-intercourse  with 
England  took  effect  November,  1806. 

In  1807,  the  first  steamboat  was  built  by  Robert  Fulton,  and  the  ap[)lic,i- 
tion  of  steam  to  navigation  became  a  fact.     The  ominous  war  cloud  that 
threatened  the  country  grew  heavy  and  dark.     France  and  England  were  at 
war,  and  they  both  were  inflicting  injury  and  insult  upon  our  young  but 
thriving  commerce.     England  still   seized  and   searched  American   vessils ; 
issued  orders  and  decrees  against  commerce ;  proclaimed  blockades  on  paper, 
and  was  crippling  the   marine   interests  of  the  United  States,  in  order  to 
prevent  them    from    reaping   any  benefit  from   the   French   carrying  trade. 
Napoleon  retaliated  with  like  orders,  decrees  and  paper  blockades;   and  be- 
tween  the  upper  and  nether  millstones  of  these  two  powers  the  commerce  of 
America  was  being  ground  to  pieces.     The  crisis  came.     Four  seamen  of  the 
United  States  man-of-war,  Clicsapcakc,  were  claimed  as  deserters  from  tlie 
British  ship,  Mclampus,  and  Commodore  Barron  of  ihe  Chesapeake  refused  to 
give  them  up.     A  little  while  afterwards  the   Chesapeake  was  unexpectedly 
attacked  by  two   English  vessels,  and  was  obliged  to  surrender  some  men. 
This  aroused  the  nation,  and  Jefferson  issued  a  proclamatiosi   in  July,  1S07, 
that  all  British  ships  should  leave  American  waters.     Great  Britain  continued 
in  her  unjust  course,  and  a  general  embargo  was  i)laced  upon  all  shippjnj^r, 
detaining  all  American  and  English  vessels  in  any  of  the  ports  of  the  United 
States,  and  ordering  all  American  vessels  in  other  ports  to  return  home,  that 
their  seamen  might  be  trained  for  war.     This  embargo  was  the  cause  of  great 
distress,  and  put  American  patriotism  and  firmness  to  a  severe  test.     This 
measure  failed  to  accomplish  the  desired  result,  and  was  repealed  three  liaj  s 
before  Jefferson  retired  from  the  ofifice  which  he  had  held  for  eight  years,  and 
at  the  same  time  Congress  passed  a  law  forbidding  any  commercial   inter- 
course with   France  and  England  so  long  as  their  unjust  orders  and  edicts 
were  in  force.     James  Madison  was  elected   President,  and  George  Clinton. 
Vice  President,  for  the  next  four  years. 


THE   ADMINISTRATION   OF  JAMES    MADISON. 

THP:kK  was  no  man  in  the  unprejudiced  judgment  of  the  people  of  all 
classes  better  fitted  to  administer  the  government  in  this  period  of  gloom  and 
doubt   than   James   Madison,  who  had   been  the  Secretary  of   State   under 


THE  STORY  OF  ITS  PROGRESS  AND  GROWTH. 


431 


Jefferson.  He  made  no  change  in  policy,  and  pressed  the  claims  of  the 
United  States  for  a  redress  of  grievances  upon  both  England  and  France. 
The  latter  acceded  to  the  rights  of  Arnerica,  but  still  continued  to  deal  in  a 
covert  and  underhanded  way,  while  England,  in  a  more  honorable  but  wicked 
way,  persisted  in  her  right  to  impress  and  search.  There  was  an  important 
question  at  issue  between  the  United  States  and  the  foreign  governments. 
It  was  the  right  of  changing  allegiance  from  one  country  to  another.  Eng- 
land held  that  a  man  born  under  her  flag  was  forever  an  English  subject,  and 
although  he  might  settle  in  any  part  of  the  world,  he  could  claim  the  privi- 
leges of  a  British  subject,  and  was  bound  by  the  obligation  of  citizenship  to 
render  service  to  the  English  flag.  America,  on  the  other  hand,  claimed  that 
a  man  had  the  right  to  choose  the  place  of  his  citizenship,  and  could  renounce 
his  allegiance  to  the  land  of  his  birth,  and  become  a  citizen  of  any  country  he 
should  choose  to  settle  in.  The  Englishmen  who  had  settled  in  America 
w  ere  regarded  as  American  citizens  and  nothing  else.  America  would  defend 
the  rights  of  her  adopted  sons,  and  maintain  her  position  toward  all  the 
nations  of  the  world. 

England  had  a  system  of  obtaining  seamen  for  her  navy  by  impressment; 
that  is,  she  would  take  men  who  were  engaged  in  the  merchant  service  and 
compel  them  to  serve  on  her  men-of-war.  This  was  a  species  of  slavery,  and 
tlic  men  thus  obtained  would  embrace  the  first  opportunity  t  desert.  These 
desertions  became  frequent,  and  the  natural  refuge  in  America  was  in  most 
instances  sought  and  the  protection  of  its  flag  obtained.  Now  it  was  very 
hard  to  distinguish  between  an  English  and  an  American  sailor,  and  when  the 
American  ships  were  searched  the  English  were  not  very  exact  as  to  nation- 
ality, i^rovided  they  got  a  first  class  sailor.  Thus  things  went  on  until  181 1, 
when  the  British  sloop  of  war,  Little  Belt,  was  met  off  the  Virginia  coast  by. 
the  American  frigate.  President,  and  was  obliged  to  pull  down  her  flag,  after 
a  severe  fight. 

This  same  year  an  Indian  revolt  broke  out  which  was  evidently  the  result 
of  English  intrigue.  All  the  frontier  tribes  were  engaged  in  it,  under  a 
crafty,  intrepid  and  unscrupulous  chief,  Tecumseh.  It  was  suppressed  by 
(ioneral  William  H.  Harrison,  after  winning  a  decisive  battle  at  Tippecanoe, 
ill  which  the  whole  Indian  force  was  dispersed.  The  Americans  were  now 
ready  for  war.  England  had  an  immense  navy  of  nine  hundred  vessels  with 
one  hundred  and  forty-four  thousand  men,  while  America  had  only  twelve 
vessels,  which  carried  about  three  hundred  guns.     It  seemed  the  wildest  folly 


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OUR  NATION: 


to  cope  with  "the  mistress  of  the  seas"  at  such  a  fearful  odds,  but  the  nllv. 
ing  cry.  "  Fkek  Tradk  axd  Sailors'  Rniins"  was  taken  up  from  tin,. 
Lakes  to  the  Gulf,  and  war  was  formally  declared  June  19,  1812.  The  pco. 
pie  of  the  West  and  North  were  no  less  enthusiastic  than  on  the  seajjo.ud. 
The  only  region  where  the  Federalists,  or  peace  party,  was  predominant  was 
in  New  England.  Congress  at  once  voted  an  appropriation  of  fifteen  millidn 
dollars  for  the  army,  and  three  million  for  the  na\'y,  and  authorized  the 
President  to  enlist  twenty-five  thousand  regulars  and  fift}'  thousand  \-oluii- 
teers  for  the  army,  and  call  out  one  hundred  thousand  militia  for  the  defense 
of  the  coast. 

THE    SECOND   WAR   FOR   INDEPENDENCE, 

as  this  contest  was  rightly  named,  now  began.  Benjamin  Franklin  had  said 
to  a  friend  who  had  called  the  Revolution  the  war  of  independence,  "  Not  the 
■war  0/  independence,  but  the  war  /or  independence."  And  now  the  second 
act  of  the  grand  drama  was  to  be  presented  to  the  world.  There  had  been 
all  along  a  suspicion  that  England  had  not  relinquished  her  hope  to  regain 
the  colonies  she  had  lost.  The  constant  intrigues  with  the  Indians,  the  sul)tle 
arts  of  diplomacy,  and  her  heavy  armament  in  Canada  pointed  co  this.  The 
Americans  were  watchful  and  jealous,  and  now  the  \>hole  force  of  their  power 
was  engaged  to  settle  the  pending  question  forever.  l'"our  days  after  the 
declaration  of  war,  England  had  repealed  her  blockading  ilecree,  and  there 
remained  onh-  the  question  of  the  right  of  search  and  expatriation.  The 
British  minister  at  Washington  had  offered  to  peaceably  settle  the  question 
at  difference,  but  his  jjroposition  was  rejected  by  his  government. 

The  first  attempts  of  the  Americans,  in  the  war,  were  signal  failures. 
General  William  Hull  was  ordered  to  invade  the  British  province  of  C.inada, 
but  after  a  feeble  attempt  he  was  compelled  to  retire  and  even  afterwards 
to  surrender.  He  was  put  on  trial  before  a  court  marti.d,  on  his  return  tn 
the  States,  found  guilty,  and  sentenced  to  be  shot.  But  he  had  been  a  brave 
officer  in  the  Revolution,  and  for  his  past  services  he  was  pardoned.  His 
reputation  was  afterwards  vindicated,  and  the  cloud  was  removed  from  his 
fair  name,  but  he  retired  to  private  life.  The  war  had  been  long  threatening;, 
and  Canada  had  fortified  her  strong  points  and  prepared  for  a  threatened 
invasion.  The  able  generals  of  the  Revolution  w  )re  now  either  all  dead,  or 
too  old  for  active  service ;    and  the  army  was  eitner  under  the  command  of 


THE  STORY  OF  ITS  PROGRESS  AND  GROWTH. 


433 


men  who  had  been  inferior  officers  in  their  young  manhood  and  were  !iow  old 
men,  or  of  men  who  had  seen  but  Httle  service  except  with  the  Indians. 

A  second  invasion  under  Colonel  Van  Renssellear  was  equally  unsuccess- 
ful. The  whole  arnu'  of  the  Ncjrthwest  had  surrendered,  and  nothing  was 
L;ained  at  that  point.  But  on  the  sea,  the  American  sailor  had  dared  to 
measure  strength  with  the  l^ritish,  and  had  been  remarkably  successful  in 
every  engagement  during  the  first  )'ear  of  the  war.  In  spite  of  the  tremen- 
dous odds  in  the  navies  of  the  two  countries,  the  American  was  gaining  vic- 
tory after  victory.  The  British  ship  Ciicrricrc  had  been  taken  by  the  frigate 
Constitution,  \w'gw~,'i  19,  1812.  The /vW/V  had  struck  the  English  flag  to  the 
little  fT/i'iy' October  i(Sth.  The  J/mvv/f'//m// surrendered  to  the  United  States 
(ictc'ber  25th,  and  \.\\ei  Java  to  the  Constitution  December  29th,  all  in  the  same 
year.  This  rekindled  the  national  spirit,  and  made  up  for  the  defeat  on  the 
land.  The  country  was  justly  elated  by  these  successes,  and  sustained  the 
athninistration  by  re-electing  Mr.  Madison  to  a  second  term. 

The  second  }ear  of  the  war,  and  the  first  of  Mr.  Madison's  second  term, 
was  signalized  hy  a  series  of  important  victories  by  the  Americans  in  Canada; 
and  the  naval  victory  of  Commodore  Berry,  on  Lake  Erie,  by  which  the 
I'nited  States  became  masters  of  the  Great  Lakes.  These  were  cheering  to 
tlie  Americans.  At  sea,  England  was  doing  her  best  to  retrieve  the  severe 
blows  she  had  received  the  year  previous,  and  regain  her  injured  prestige  as 
"mistress  of  the  seas."  The  loss  she  had  met  the  autumn  before,  of  five 
ships,  was  a  heav)-  blow  to  her  pride,  and  her  statesmen  regarded  this  humilia- 
tion as  greater  than  the  loss  of  so  many  battles.  No  other  country,  before 
this,  had  produced  sailors  equal  to  hers.  Now  she  had  met  her  first  disasters 
froui  an  inferior,  and  strenuous  effort  must  be  made  to  undo  this  disgrace. 
The  British  nation  and  navy  felt  this,  and  put  forth  thei-  best  endeavors  to 
show  their  superiorit)-.  Two  English  ships  cruisetl  off  Boston  in  the  early 
summer  of  1.S13,  and  Captain  Broke  sent  a  challenge  to  Captain  Lawrence  of 
the  Chesapeake  to  come  out  and  "try  the  fortunes  of  their  respective  flags." 
Tlic  English  captain  sent  one  of  his  ships  away,  and  with  the  Shannon  waited 
f.ir  llie  C/iesapeake  to  come  out.  Captain  Lawrence  accepted  the  challenge, 
iuul  went  to  his  death.  The  fight  lasted  only  fifteen  minutes,  but  in  that  time 
t-iic  Chesapeake  was  discomfited,  her  commander  killed,  and  her  flag  struck  to 
tlie  proud  ensign  of  Britain.  This  was  on  June  1st,  181 3.  This  same  Captain 
Lawrence,  who  exclaimed,  '  Don't  give  up  the  ship!"  with  his  latest  breath, 
h.ul,  in  February  before,  tak<.'n  the  I-'nglish  frigate  Peacoek,  with  the  sloop 


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OUR  NATION 


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llonu't.  In  AuLjiist  another  disaster  bcf-jll  tlw  American  navy.  It  wms  tin; 
loss  of  tlie  .Iri^y/x,  wliich  liad  taken  Mr.  Crawford,  the  minister,  to  France, 
Avliich  was  otiliijed  to  surrender  to  the  Pclicixii.  The  tide  of  victory  ninv 
turned,  antl  the  I-ln^dish  bri^  Hoxcr  struck  her  fla<;  to  the  brijj^  fiiifcrprisc, 
September  5th.  The  complete  naval  victory  of  Commodore  I'erry,  on  Laki.' 
Erie,  on  September  11,  in  which  he  captured  the  whole  En|^lish  fleet  of  six 
vessels,  followed.  When  the  year  closed,  the  balance  seemed  to  be  in  favur 
of  the  Americans.     On  land,  the  war  had  been  waged  with  varying  fortunes. 

The  British  had  talked  of  chastising  America  into  submission,  and  tho 
instrument  they  sent  was  a  squadron  under  the  command  of  Admiral  Cock- 
burn,  which  was  scattered  to  different  points  on  the  Atlantic  coast  and  burned, 
robbed  and  slaughtered,  ivitliout  mercy.  In  April,  they  destroyed  the  town 
of  Lewiston,  on  the  Delaware:  in  May,  Frenchtown,  liavre  de  Grace,  George- 
town, and  F'rcderickstown  on  the  Chesapeake,  and  all  along  the  southern 
coast  committed  their  fearful  work  of  depredation  and  pillage.  Commodore 
Hardy  was  sent  to  the  New  England  coast,  but  his  conduct  everywhere  was 
in  strong  contrast  to  that  of  Admiral  Cockburn.  He  acted  like  a  high-mindcfl 
gentleman  and  generous  enemy.  He  landed  at  Castine,  Maine,  and  sent  a 
land  force  up  the  Penobscot  to  capture  the  sloop  of  \\'a.r  Jo/iii  Addiiis. 

The  war  was  now  carried  on  with  renewed  vigor  by  the  United  States 
and   men   and    money  were  lished   without   stint.     The  Americans  were 

gaining  victories  and  matters  were  progressing.  Then  came  an  act  which 
was  most  reprehensible,  and  unusual  in  tht;  annals  of  civilized  warfare,  for 
■which  the  home  government  of  England  was  solely  responsible.  Veteran 
troops  of  Wellington's  Army,  who  had  fought  the  I'Vench  for  years,  were  sent 
to  America  in  the  Spring  of  18 14.  Some  of  them,  destined  to  attempt  the 
capture  of  the  National  Capital,  landed  on  the  shore  of  Maryland  and  pushed 
on  tow  ards  Washington  City.  On  their  way  occurred  a  sharp  battle  in  which 
the  Americans  were  defeated.  The  British  entered  the  city:  plundered  private 
dwellings,  and  the  Capitol,  the  President's  house  and  other  public  buildings, 
and  then  withdrew.  The  navy  yard  and  some  ships  in  process  of  building 
were  burned  by  the  Americans  themselves.  The  bridge  across  the  Potomac 
was  dLstro)-et!,  and  then  the  British  withdrew  to  the  coast.  The  war  was 
scattered  mer  a  wide  region  and  the  Americans  gained  victories  here  and 
there,  ('nmmodore  Macdonough  had  gained  a  complete  success  over  the 
■whole  Britisli  fleet  on  Lake  Champlain  and  at  Plattsburgh.  Macomb's  Ameri- 
can troo[)s  gained  a  great  \ictory  at  the  same  time.     The  British  sailor  found 


)    'i 


Tin-:  STORY  OF  ITS  PROGRESS  AND  GROWTH. 


435 


liis  match  on  tin-  ocean  in  his  An^do- American  kinsman.  Both  sides  were 
becoming  weary  of  a  devastatin_L:j  war  and  ahx'ady  there  were  negotiation?  for 
peace.  A  treat)-  was  signed  in  December,  1.S14,  and  sent  to  America,  but 
hcf(M-e  it  had  arrived  or  was  known  one  of  tlie  most  remarkable  battles  of 
liistory  had  been  fought  and  won.  Tliis  deserves  record  and  we  will  here 
give  a  short  account  of  it. 

THE   B/vTTLE   OF   NEW   ORLEANS. 

If  there  had  been  a  submarine  telegraph  in  181 5  the  battle  of  New  Or- 
leans would  never  have  been  fought,  and  much  Englisl'  blood  would  have 
been  saved.  The  treat)-  was  signed  December  24th,  1 8 14,  and  it  was  sev-en 
weeks  before  the  news  came  to  the  southern  portions  of  America.  New 
Orleans  was  then  a  town  of  twenty  thousand  inhabitants,  and,  as  now,  the 
centre  of  a  large  cotton  trade.  The  English  Commander,  General  Packen- 
liam.  saw  that  it  was  an  important  point  and  decided  ';o  attack  it.  He  had 
the  best  English  troops,  fresh  from  their  victories  in  Europe.  Andrew  Jack- 
son, then  a  Major-General  in  the  army,  ar  ived  at  New  Orleans  December  2d, 
and,  declaring  martial  law,  soon  restored  confidence.  He  fortified  the  city, 
and  when  the  British  squadron,  bearing  twelve  thousand  soldiers,  made  their 
appearance  he  was  read)-  to  give  them  a  good  reception.  On  the  23d  of 
December  he  met  the  advance  guard  of  the  army,  twenty-four  hundred  strong, 
and  routed  them  at  a  place  about  nine  miles  below  the  city,  and  then  he  re- 
tired to  a  stronger  position.  He  built  a  line  of  breastworks  of  earth  to 
defend  New  Orleans,  and  awaited  the  attack  that  was  made  January  8th, 
181 5.  These  defenses  were  four  miles  from  the  city,  and  guarded  the  ad- 
vance. General  Packenham  advanced  with  his  entire  army,  numbering  twelve 
thousand,  under  the  best  military  discipline  in  the  world.  Jackson  had  less 
than  six  thousand  men  and  the  most  of  them  were  militia,  bu*;  all  had  become 
good  p- irksmen  in  the  western  woods.  All  was  silent  as  the  grave  while  the 
British  advanced  in  solid  column  to  carry  the  works.  "  Trust  in  God  and 
keep  your  powder  dry,"  had  been  Jackson's  policy  in  the  swamps  of  Florida, 
and  now  his  men  put  it  in  practice.  Steadily  the  attacking  army  advanced 
and  not  a  shot  was  fired  until  they  were  half  a  gun-shot  distant,  and  then  a 
terrific  fire,  every  shot  of  which  did  good  execution,  burst  upon  the  assailants. 
The  British  column  wavered ;  their  general  was  killed,  and  they  fled  in  con- 
fusion leaving  seven  hundred  dead  and  more  than  a  thousand  wounded  on 


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OUR  NATION: 


■/*!■:.■ 


the  field.  The  fugitives  hastenetl  to  their  camp  and  ten  days  after  sailed 
from  the  coast  of  Louisiana.  This  battle  saved  the  whole  South  from  inva- 
sion and  rapine,  which  would  have  followed  before  the  news  of  peace  was 
received. 

Thus  the  w.ir  closed,  and  both  countries  could  point  with  pride  to  tlic 
heroic  courajje  that  had  been  displayed  on  land  and  sea,  and  deck  their  bravo 
defenders  with  the  medals  of  honor.  The  president  issued  his  proclamation 
that  peace  was  declared,  February  i8th,  181 5,  and  the  people  united  in  cclc- 
brating  the  return  of  quiet  all  over  the  country.  Ikisiness  had  become  pros. 
trated,  the  ships. were  lying  idly  at  the  docks  and  industry  was  at  a  stand-still. 
The  echoes  of  the  shouts  of  rejoicing  had  not  died  on  the  air  before  the  rin;^ 
of  the  woodman's  axe  was  heard  in  the  forest  of  the  settler,  and  the  sound  of 
the  carpenter  in  the  deserted  shipyard.  Commerce  revived  and  industry  lifted 
its  head.  The  Americans  had  the  wonderful  power  of  rapid  recuperation 
from  disaster. 

The  treaty  was  not  all  that  America  could  ask,  but  she  had  asserted  her 
claim  and  maintained  her  rights.  Never  afterward  was  a  sailor  taken  from 
an  American  ship  as  an  English  deserter;  sailors'  rights  were  maintained, 
and  the  flag  of  the  United  States  respected  as  never  before.  The  Americans 
had  lost  thirty  thousand  men,  and  one  hundred  millions  of  treasure,  while 
England    had  suffered  much  more  heavily. 

During  Mr.  Madison's  term  and  after  the  peace  with  I"lnglanil,  the 
Algerine  pirates,  thinking  that  the  power  of  the  United  States  on  the  sea  had 
been  broken,  began  their  depredations  again  and  were  violating  their  treaty. 
Commodore  Decatur  was  sent  to  punish  them  and  forever  put  a  stop  to  their 
infamous  traffic.  He  bombarded  Tripoli  and  the  other  capitals  of  the  several 
Barbary  States  which  were  subject  to  Turkey,  brought  their  rulers  to  terms 
antl  compelletl  each  State  to  rc-imburse  the  United  States  for  the  lossis 
causetl  to  American  shipping,  and  to  free  all  the  American  and  English  slaves 
hekl  by  them.     This  put  an  end  to  the  infamy  for  all  time. 

The  only  events  worthy  of  notice  during  the  remainder  of  this  I'resiileii- 
tial  term,  were  the  admission  of  Indiana  into  the  Union  December,  1816.  and 
the  chartering  of  a  United  States  Bank  with  a  capital  of  thirty-five  million 
dollars. 

The  new  election  resulted  in  the  choice  of  James  Monroe  as  President 
and  Daniel  D.  Tompkins  ;is  Vice  Presiiient. 


imm,- 


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THE  STORY  OF  ITS  I'ROGRKL^S  AND  (JROWTII. 


IS  President 


437 


TIII-:   ADMINISTRATION   OF   JAMES   MONROE. 

TllK  fifth  rrosidcnt  of  the  American  Republic,  James  Monroe,  had  been 
the  Secretary  of  State  under  his  predecessor.  1 1  is  administration  was  distin- 
tjuished  by  the  rapid  growth  in  material  wealth  and  population,  and  the  e.xpan- 
sion  of  all  the  resources  of  the  Republic.  The  manufactories  of  the  United 
States,  which  had  been  kept  busy  during  the  war,  suffereil  from  the  influ.x  of 
f(irciL;n  j^oods,  and  were  obliged  to  contract  their  work.  This  compelled  many 
who  had  been  euLja^ed  in  them  to  seek  new  homes  in  the  fertile  lands  beyond 
the  Alleghanies  and  Ohio,  and  a  steady  and  uninterrupted  flood  of  emigration 
flowed  in  from  the  seaboard.  New  States  and  Territories  were  formed  and 
the  natural  resources  of  the  country  were  beinj^  developed  at  a  most  rapid 
rate.  Mississippi  was  admitted  into  the  Union  December  loth,  1817;  Illinois 
December  31I,  icSi8;  Alabama  December  14th,  1819;  Maine  March  3d,  1820; 
Missouri  March  2d,  1821.  The  buccaneering  pirates  that  infested  the  Gulf  of 
]\Ie.\ico  were  surprised  and  put  down.  Florida  was  bought  of  Spain  for  seven 
million  dollars  by  a  treaty  signed  at  Washington,  February,  1819.  It  was  an 
era  of  general  prosperity  anil  growth.  Hut  the  continued  presence  of  slavery 
was  a  menace  to  the  Union,  and  in  1821  the  measure  known  as  the  Missouri 
Compromise  was  approved  by  Congress,  and  Missouri  was  admitted  as  a  slave 
State.  The  temporary  excitement  abated,  and  the  re-eiection  of  Mr.  Monroe 
and  his  associates  was  the  most  formal  and  quiet  affair  ever  known  in  Ameri- 
can politics.  Ilis  administration  had  made  itself  popular  by  two  measures 
which  had  been  passed.  The  first  was  the  pensioning  of  all  the  surviving 
soliliers  of  the  Revolution,  their  dependent  widows  and  orphans;  and  the 
second,  the  settlement  of  the  boundary  line  from  the  Lake  of  the  Woods  to 
the  RiK'ky  Mountains. 

The  visit  of  Lafayette,  the  friend  and  companion  of  Washington,  to  this 
countr\-,  in  which  he  was  the  nation's  guest  and  received  ovations  in  every 
tow  n  and  city  through  which  he  passed,  occurred  in  1824-5.  He  was  every- 
where greeteil  with  the  wildest  enthusiasm  and  met  men  who  had  served 
uiuicr  him  in  the  war.  He  saw  the  wonderful  improvement  on  all  sides,  and 
towns,  countries,  streets  and  public  institutions  on  every  hand  had  been  called 
after  him.  When  he  was  ready  to  return,  the  government  placed  at  his 
service  a  vessel,  named  after  the  battle  in  which  he  first  fought  iv  the  Revolu- 
tion— the  Brandyiuiiw. 


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438 


OUR  N  Ail  ON 


LAFAYETTE. 


TIIF,   FRIKNl)   OF    IIIMAN    KlClinS   AND   AMKRICAN   FREEDOM! 

Tin;  Marquis  dc  Lafayette  was  born  in  1757,  and  was  one  of  the  most 
extraordinar)-  and  influential  men  of  his  time.  He  was,  in  the  fullest  sense.', 
a  member  of  the  h'rench  aristocracy,  and  a  gentleman  of  fortune.  II  is  pre- 
cocity  may  be  inferred  from  the  fact,  that  at  the  age  of  fourteen  he  displayed 
marked  literary  ability,  and  wrote  with  great  fluency.  When  but  si.xteen  he 
marrietl ;  and  three  years  afterward,  moved  by  a  love  of  liberty,  on  heariii;^r 
'^(  the  struggle  in  which  the  American  Colonies  were  engaged,  he  resolvctl  to 
leave  wife,  home  and  kindred,  and  draw  his  sword  on  the  side  of  the  op. 
pressed.  Here  was  a  sacrifice  at  the  shrine  of  human  freedom  ! — Young, 
noble,  wealthy,  the  friend  of  princes,  and  the  beloved  of  an  adored  and  beau- 
tiful wife,  he  separated  himself  from  all,  and  the  advantages  pertaining  to  his 
rank,  to  share  the  dangers  and  the  fate  of  the  brave  handful  of  half-starved, 
half-naked  patriots,  who  dared  to  stand  up  for  the  right  in  the  face  of  one  of 
the  most  powerful  nations  in  the  world. 

His  freedom  of  action  in  this  relation,  however,  was  embarrassed,  inas- 
much as  the  king,  who  objected  to  his  leaving  France,  ordered  his  arrest  so 
as  to  prevent  his  carrying  out  his  noble  project.  But  here  the  French  mon- 
arch was  powerless,  for  the  object  of  this  persecution,  having  fitted  out  a  ship 
at  his  own  expense,  escaped  to  it  in  disguise  after  untold  privations,  and  after 
having  once  been  recognized  by  a  young  girl  who  found  him  asleep  on  some 
■straw,  but  who  never  once  thought  of  betraying  him. 

He  had  heard  of  the  loss  of  New  York  and  New  Jersey  to  the  Ameri- 
cans, but  this  only  served  to  increase  his  desire  to  hasten  to  the  relief  of  the 
latter.  And  so,  although  pursued  by  two  French  cruisers,  and  menaced  by 
the  English  men  of  war  on  the  coast,  he  escaped  all  dangers  and  landed  safely 
■on  the  shores  of  South  Carolina.  Here  everything  was  novel  and  delightful 
to  him,  as  he  observed  in  a  letter  to  his  wife  shortly  after  his  arrival,  and  he 
^oon  met  Washington,  at  Philadelphia,  for  whom  he  formed  an  instant  and 
abiding  friendship,  so  impressed  was  he  with  the  true  nobility  and  command- 
ing virtues  of  that  great  and  mighty  man. 

When  Lafayette  first  saw  the  poorly  armed,  ragged  and  half-fed  forces 
of  America  in  line  before  him  at  Philadelphia,  nothing  could  exceed  his  sur- 
prise.    But  with  a  penetration  beyond  his  years,  he  perceived  in  this  stern, 


Till-:  STORY  OF  ITS  PROGRESS  AND  GROWTH. 


439 


)M! 

of  the  most 
lUcst  scnsi.', 
His  pic- 
le  displayed 
t  sixteen  he 
on  heariiii; 
resolved  to 
of  the  op- 
11  ! — Young, 
:d  and  beaii- 
aininfT  to  his 
half-starved, 
ce  of  one  of 

•rassed,  inas- 
his  arrest  so 

rcnch  nion- 
d  out  a  ship 

s,  and  after 
eep  on  some 

the  Ameri- 
relief  of  the 
menaced  by 
andcd  safely 
d  delightful 
rival,  and  he 

instant  and 
d  command- 

If-fed  forces 
:eed  his  sur- 
1  this  stern, 


self-sacrificing  and  dogged  ar-iiy,  all  the  elements  of  future  success;  and  this 
conviction  often  seemed  to  imjjart  strength  and  hope  to  any  vhose  spirits 
tended  to  droop  beneath  the  weight  of  the  reverses  and  great  privations  that 
pressed  upon  them.  Washington  also  soon  began  to  discover  the  true  metal 
in  the  joung  I'renchman  of  nineteen,  whose  sword  invariably  leaped  from  its 
sheath  at  the  word  of  command.  Hence,  when  but  twenty,  he  was  made  a 
RIajor-General. 

Lafayette's  sufferings  in  our  cause  were  severe,  and  his  labors  very  great. 
He  was  wounded  at  Brandywine,  and  lay  for  six  weeks  at  Hethlehem,  whence, 
although  scarcely  able  to  move,  he  wrote  letters  constantly  to  France  implor- 
ing its  statesmen  to  attack  England  in  India  and  the  West  Indies.  liefore  his 
wountls  were  healed  he  rejoined  the  army.  He  performed  in  winter  a  journey 
on  horseback  of  four  hundred  miles  to  Albany;  he  commanded  at  Rhode 
Island;  fought  like  a  lion,  and  bore  all  the  hardships  and  privations  of  war. 
After  this  he  was  seized  with  a  violent  fever,  and  seemed  for  weeks  at  the 
point  of  death.  On  his  recovery  he  set  sail  from  Boston  for  his  native  land  in 
1-80. 

On  returning  to  France,  Lafayette  was  received  with  open  arms  by  all 
the  \oung  nobles  of  liberal  views,  while  the  King  pardoned  him  and  sent  him 
back  to  America  with  a  i)romise  of  ships,  money,  clothes  and  men.  Once 
again  he  rejcnned  Washington,  who  gave  him  his  unbounded  confidence.  He 
was  sent  tw  \'irginia,  where  he  commanded  with  skill  and  bravery  against 
Cornwallis,  and  with  his  illustrious  chief  planned  the  campaign  which  resulted 
in  the  taking  of  Yorktown  and  the  close  of  a  long  and  painful  war. 

After  the  surrender  of  Cornwallis,  Lafayette  returned  to  France  once 
more,  when  the  Revolution  there,  prompted  by  the  ideas  and  the  success  of 
the  Americans,  began  to  move  in  ever-increasing  strength.  He  was  now  the 
favorite  of  the  people,  and  was  all  powerful  in  the  land,  but  in  his  path  crept 
the  Marats,  Dantons  and  Kibespierres  of  the  hour,  while  the  armies  of  Europe 
were  gathered,  ready  to  crush  his  republican  projects.  He  was  overpowered 
by  I'rench  radicals  and  constrained  to  fly  from  France  and  seek  shelter  on 
foreign  soil;  b.it  instead  of  shelter,  in  a  friendly  sense,  he  found  himself  im- 
mured \vithin  the  gloomy  walls  of  Olmutz,  where  he  remained  for  five  years. 
For  more  than  half  that  period  he  was  cut  ofT  from  all  communication  with 
the  world;  and  could  not  even  learn  whether  his  wife  and  children  were  still 
alive.  At  length  his  wife,  who  had  barely  escaped  from  the  guillotine,  joined 
him  with  her  two  daughters,  and  shared  his  imprisonment — their  son   hav- 


I  ( 


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440 


OUR  NATION: 


fci'''#l:. 


i..,i,  i 


>■»  ■ 


it's 


iii^  hcoii  sent  t')  Ainciic.i  to  the  cure  of  W'.isliiii^fton.  N'or  was  it  until  the 
armies  of  l'"iance,  uiulcr  Napoleon,  began  to  shake  Europe  that  they  were 
released. 

Lafayette  now  became  a  leatier  in  every  movement  pertaining  to  the  ad- 
vancement  of  libiial  government.  He  cultivated  a  large  farm  at  La  Grange, 
near  I'aris.  On  he.iring  of  the  death  of  Washington  he  wept  bitterly;  and  in 
1824  25,  after  an  al)sence  of  forty  >ears,  he  again  visited  America,  this  time 
with  his  son.  His  reception  was  magnificent  beyond  measure — the  gratitude 
of  a  generous  nation  was  exhibited  everywhere.  He  visited  once  more  many 
of  the  old  historic  places,  and  met  many  of  his  comrades  in  arms,  with  such 
intense  emotion  that  it  would  be  almost  profanation  to  attempt  to  put  it  in 
worils.  On  his  return  to  France  he  still  stood  firm  in  the  princi[)les  he  had 
espouseil  and  fought  for;  but  the  time  of  his  departure  was  drawing  nigh;  for 
he  breathed  his  last,  in  hope  and  in  peace,  at  La  Grange,  in  1834,  leaving 
behind  him  a  character  for  all  that  was  noble,  self-sacrificing,  courageous  anil 
just.  His  chateau  at  this  place  has  been  the  shrine  of  many  an  American 
pilgrim,  and  it  is  still  filled  with  reminiscences  of  the  land  he  loved  and  aided 
so  well.  He  left  one  son,  George  Washington,  and  two  daughters.  Edmund 
Lafayette,  who  visited  America  in  1881,  is  the  son  of  that  son,  and  the  last  of 
his  name. 

AD.AHNISTRATION   OF  JOHN   QUINCY    ADAMS. 

Till",  election  of  1824  resulted  in  no  choice  by  the  people,  and  for  the 
second  time  the  election  of  President  was  referred  to  the  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives. They  elected  John  Quincy  Adams,  the  second  son  of  Ex-President 
Atlams,  to  be  President.  John  C.  Calhoun  had  been  elected  Vice-President 
by  the  people.  This  administration  was  a  quiet  one  and  undisturbed  bj-  any 
very  serious  controversy.  The  trouble  between  the  State  of  Georgia  and  the 
general  government  growing  out  of  the  claims  of  the  latter,  for  the  land  of 
the  Creek  Indians,  and  their  removal,  was  peaceably  adjusted.  The  National 
Government  took  the  position  of  defenders  of  the  Indians,  and  quietly  re- 
moved them  to  their  reservation  in  a  territory  set  apart  for  them. 

A  eitrantic  work  of  internal  improvement  for  the  times  was  undertaken 
and  finished  in  the  State  of  New  York — the  building  of  the  Erie  Canal. 

A  remarkable  coincidence  occurred  in  the  year  1826.  John  Adams  and 
Thomas  Jefferson,  who  had  both  been  Vice  Presidents  and  Presidents  of  the 


TIIF.  STORY  OF   ITS   I'ROC.RKSS  AM)  (iKOWTII, 


441 


United  States,  iiiul  si};iicrs  of  tlu'  Declaration  of   IiulLpnulence,  died  on   the 
4tli  of  July. 

The  fiftieth  anniversary  of  American  Independence,  July  4th,  i82<'),  was 
made  a  jubilee  throu^di  the  entire  Union.  The  celebrations  were  of  the  most 
patriotic  nature,  and  reference  was  made  in  orations  and  addresses  to  the 
niaterial  expansion  of  the  Republic.  Ik-tter  occasion  for  a  jubilee  the  world 
had  never  known.  The  point  to  pause  and  look  back  had  come.  The  rapid 
growth  of  the  nation  was  unparalleled  in  the  history  of  the  world.  The  thir- 
teen States  had  become  twenty-four,  and  tlie  area  of  the  country  nearly 
doubled.  Its  domain  stretched  from  the  Atlantic  on  the  cast  to  the  Tacific 
on  the  west.  Its  right  was  undisputed  from  the  lakes  on  the  north  to  the 
gulf  on  the  south.  Two  wars  had  been  fought  and  won.  The  debt  incurred 
in  the  first  war  had  been  paid  and  the  second  war  debt  was  fast  disappear- 
ing. Prosperity  was  on  every  hand.  Canals  providetl  an  avenue  for  the  rich 
grain  lands  of  the  West  to  the  seaboard  by  the  way  of  the  lakes  and  the 
Hudson.  A  steady  tide  of  emigration  westward  liad  opened  up  this  bound- 
less region  to  civilization,  and  the  foreign  trade  of  the  country  had  swollen  to 
t\>o  hundred  millions  per  year. 


!  J 


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undertaken 
'anal. 

Adams  and 
lents  of  the 


THE   ADMINISTRATION   OF  ANDREW   JACKSON. 

The  hero  of  New  Orleans  was  the  seventh  President  of  the  United  States, 
and  John  C.  Calhoun  was  elected  Vice  President.  His  election  was  by  a  large 
majority.  His  inauguration  was  marked  by  incidents  of  peculiar  interest. 
He  came  to  the  Senate  Chamber  escorted  by  a  few  sur\ivors  (^f  the  Revolu- 
tionar)-  War,  aiul  in  the  i)resence  of  the  heads  of  departments  and  the  Mouses 
of  Congress  he  addressed  them.  Then  he  retired  to  the  eastern  portico  of 
the  Capitol  and  there  took  the  oath  of  office.  Andrew  Jackson  was  a  man  of 
strong  jiassions,  uncorrupt  heart,  and  an  iron  will.  His  instructions  to  the 
first  Minister  whom  he  sent  to  England  is  a  t)'pe  of  the  man — "Ask  nothing 
but  what  is  riglit,  submit  to  nothing  that  is  wrong."  His  audacit\-  annoj-ed 
his  friends  and  alarmed  his  foes.  There  were  not  any  middle-men.  His 
friends  loved  and  admired  him;  his  opponents  hated  and  feared  him.  He 
caused  an  impassable  gulf  between  himself  and  his  enemies  which  no  charity 
could  bridge  over.  He  ruled  with  an  iron  hand,  and  was  the  firm  opponent 
of  disunion  and  the  United  States  Bank.  The  first  thing  which  came  up  at 
the  beginning  of  his  administration  was  the  settlement  of  the  Georgia  cjues- 


ill 

1 

■ 

mi 

.j'lia 

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t  {ImI 

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1 

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442 


OUR  NATION 


i 


> ,  > 


i',l\- 


tion  with  the  Cherokccs.  Jackson  was  in  favor  of  Georgia,  but  the  Supreme 
Court  decided  in  favor  of  the  Indians. 

At  last  General  Winfield  Scott  was  sent  to  remove  them  peaceably  if  he 
could,  but  forcibly  if  he  must.  GeneT/i  Scott  by  his  justice  and  moderation 
accomplished  his  task  without  bloodshed.  The  Cherokees  were  far  advanced 
it  civilization,  and  had  churches,  schools  and  farms,  but  they  were  induced 
to  move  beyond  the  Mississippi  River. 

Jackson  was  an  implacable  foe  to  the  National  Bank,  believing  it  to  be 
an  institution  fraught  with  mischievous  power.  He  attacked  it  in  his  annual 
messages  in  1830  and  in  1831.  When  the  officers  petitioned  for  a  renewal 
of  the  charter,  and  a  bill  for  this  purpose  had  been  passed  by  both  Houses 
with  a  decided  majority,  he  vetoed  it,  and  the  charter  expired  by  limitation 
i.i  1836,     A  commercial  panic  was  threatened  and  business  was  injured. 

An  Indian  war  on  the  northwest^TU  frontier  broke  out  in  1832,  kno\.ii  as 
the  Black  Hawk  War,  but  was  quickly  subdued.  A  more  portentous  war 
cloud  overhung  tlie  South.  The  cotton-growing  States  were  opposed  to  a 
protective  tariff  which  favored  the  North,  and  South  Carolina  declared,  by 
law,  that  the  national  tarifT  laws  were  null  and  void  within  that  State,  and 
procla'Tied  the  usual  threats,  that  any  attempt  to  enforce  those  laws  in 
Chaii:  ston,  would  be  met  by  opposition  and  the  withdrawal  of  the  State  from 
the  Union.  Preparations  were  made  for  war,  and  it  seemed  as  if  civil  strife 
was  at  iiand.  Jackson  issued  his  famous  proclamation  which  denied  tiie 
right  of  any  Si'te  to  nullify  the  laws  of  the  United  States,  and  declared  that 
the  laws  should  he  enforced,  and  any  one  obstructing  them  woultl  be  guilty 
of  treason  and  punished.  This  declaration  and  a  modification  of  the  tariff 
laws  deferred  Civil  War  for  about  thirty  years. 

The  contest  of  the  President  with  the  United  States  bank  was  renewed 
in  1833.  The  public  funds  were  removed  from  it  and  placed  in  State  banks. 
The  amount  of  paper  discounted  by  the  bank  was  contracted,  and  much 
financial  trouble  arose.  Jackson's  fear  of  the  power  of  the  banks  was 
prompted  by  much  foresight  and  wisdom,  though  the  immediate  result  of 
his  course  was  disastrous  to  the  commercial  interests  of  the  country.  Then 
came  the  fearful  business  panic  of  1 833-34,  in  which  hundreds  of  business 
men  went  down,  never  to  rise. 

There  arose  serious  difficulty  in  1835  with  the  Indians  in  Florida.  The 
United  States  had  set  apart  a  territory  west  of  the  Mississippi  for  the  use  of 
all  the  Southern  Indians  east  of  that  river,  and  Congress  had  provided  for 


THE  STORY  OK  ITS  PROGRESS  AND  GROWTH. 


443 


their  removal  to  that  territory.  We  have  seen  that  there  was  trouble  with 
the  Creeks  and  Cherokccs  in  Georgia  upon  this  question,  and  now  the  Semi- 
nole tribe  were  in  open  war  in  reference  to  the  same  matter.  Osceola,  a  brave 
but  crafty  chief,  had  gathered  his  tribe  to  fight  the  white  people  and  contest 
the  right  to  his  land.  We  cannot  see  how  he  could  do  otherwise  than  defend 
the  graves  of  his  fathers  and  the  homes  of  his  children.  The  story  of  the 
Indians'  wrongs  and  sufferings  is  a  dark  one  on  the  pages  of  our  history.  In 
the  Spring  of  1836  General  Winfield  Scott,  being  in  command  in  the  South,, 
prosecuted  the  war  with  great  vigor.  So  did  other  commanders  after  him. 
A  war  lasting  seven  years  and  costing  millions  of  treasure  and  thousands  of 
lives  was  entailed  upon  the  country  and  the  incoming  administration.  Jack- 
son's administration  was  marked  with  vigor  and  decision.  He  had  compelled 
France  to  fulfill  her  promise  to  pay  an  indemnity  of  five  million  dollars  in 
annual  instalments  for  the  losses  sustained  to  American  commerce  by  the 
decrees  and  orders  of  Napoleon. 

A  great  excitement  was  engendered  by  the  last  official  act  of  President 
Jackson — the  issue  of  the  circular  to  all  the  custom  houses  ortlering  that  all 
collectors  of  revenue  be  required  to  collect  duties  only  in  gold  and  silver. 
This  specie  circular  was  denounced  as  arbitrary  and  tyrannical,  as  it  bore 
heavily  on  every  kind  of  business.  Congress  passed  a  law  for  its  repeal,  but 
the  President  kept  it  without  signing  until  after  the  final  adjournment  of 
Congress.  Jackson  did  this  to  prevent  speculation  and  for  what  he  consid- 
ered wise  reasons,  but  it  caused  a  bitter  feeling  against  him.  Arkansas  and 
Michigan  were  added  to  the  Union  during  Jackson's  term  of  office. 


I  ■  ;i 


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':  i  1 . 


i  i- 


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.  ■ 


THE   ADMINISTRATION   OF   MARTIN   VAN   BUREN. 

The  inauguration  of  Van  Buren,  the  eighth  President  of  the  United  States, 
seemed  to  mark  the  dawn  of  a  new  era  in  its  history.  The  Presidents  prior 
to  him  had  all  been  descendants  of  the  English,  but  Martin  Van  Burcn  was  a 
descendant  of  an  old  Dutch  family  and  was  born  after  the  first  conflict  for 
Independence.  When  he  was  inaugurated  he  found  the  country  on  the  verge 
of  a  disastrous  commercial  panic  which  swept  all  over  the  land.  The  imme- 
diate measures  for  the  relief  of  the  panic  of  1833-34  were  only  temporary. 
The  funds  taken  from  the  United  States  Bank  and  lodged  in  State  banks 
were  loaned  to  the  people,  and  for  a  little  time  the  relief  was  felt  in  business 
circles,  but  this  only  sowed  the  seeds  of  a  commeitcial  disorder  which  would 


Iv  .  i  !*|-i 


m] 


ill' '  II 
i!  II 


B>     if. 


444 


OUR  NATION; 


bring  its  fearful  harvest  in  the  future.  The  banks,  thinking  these  funds  might 
be  regarded  as  so  much  capital,  loaned  money  freely  and  a  sudden  expansion 
of  the  paper  currency  was  the  result. 

In  January,  1837,  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  was  authorized  by  Con- 
gress to  distribute  all  the  funds  of  the  United  States  among  the  several  States 
in  proportion  to  population,  reserving  five  million  dollars.  Consequently  the 
funds  were  withdrawn  from  the  banks  January  ist,  1837,  and  an  immense 
financial  pressure  was  the  immediate  result.  On  May  10th  the  banks  sus- 
pended specie  payments,  and  a  panic  ensued  which  prostrated  all  kinds  of 
business.  An  extra  session  of  Congress  was  called  to  consider  measures  of 
relief,  September,  1837.  They  authorized  the  issue  of  treasury  notes  to  the 
amount  of  ten  million  dollars. 

A  disturbance  broke  out  in  Canada  in  1837  which  threatened  to  involve 
the  United  States.  An  attempt  was  made  to  make  that  province  an  inde- 
pendent St  ite.  The  laws  of  neutrality  were  violated  by  those  in  the  States 
who  sympathized  with  the  movement.  A  secret  organization  known  as 
Hunters  Lodges  was  formed.  The  British  government  held  the  United  States 
responsible  for  this  breach  of  neutrality,  and  a  war  cloud  overhung  the  norther.i 
border  for  nearly  four  years.  The  next  I'residential  election  resulted  in  the 
elevation  of  the  Whig  candidate,  William  H.  Harrison,  the  hero  of  Tippe- 
canoe, to  the  Presidency  and  John  Tyler  to  the  Vice  Presidency.  The  cam- 
paign had  been  spirited  and  intense.  The  battle  cry  of  this  party  had  been 
"  Tippecanoe  and  Tyler  too."  Personal  abuse  and  vituperation  united  to 
make  the  canvass  scandalous  and  offensive. 


ADMINISTRATION    OF   HARRISON   AND   TYLER. 

General  William  H.  Harrison  was  an  old  man  when  inaugurated, 
and  had  passed  through  many  hardships  in  wars,  in  the  West,  but  he  was 
vigorous  and  active  with  the  prospect  of  a  number  of  years  of  life.  His  in- 
augural address  was  well  received  and  his  cabinet  chosen  was  confirmetl.  Tlie 
only  official  act  he  performed  was  to  call  an  extra  session  of  Congress  to 
meet  in  May  to  confer  upon  the  financial  condition  of  the  countrj-  ami  its 
revenue.  He  died  just  one  month  after  taking  the  oath  of  office — April  4tli, 
1 84 1,  and  the  Vice  President,  John  Tyler,  succeeded  to  that  position. 

Mr.  Tyler  retained  the  cabinet  of  General  Harrison  until  after  the  extra 
session  of  Congress  which  had  been  called.     At  this  session  measures  for  the 


THE  STORY  OF  ITS  PROGRESS  AND  GROWTH. 


445 


relief  of  the  commercial  troubles  of  the  country  were  adopted.  The  sub- 
treasury  act  was  repealed  and  a  bankrupt  law  was  passed.  The  chartering  of 
a  Bank  of  the  United  States  was  defeated  by  the  veto  of  the  President,  who, 
like  Jackson,  saw  great  danger  in  the  system.  This  led  to  a  violent  censure 
of  the  Executive  by  his  own  party,  and  to  the  resignation  of  his  Cabinet. 

In  1842  the  return  of  the  United  States  Exploring  Expedition  from  the 
South  Atlantic  Ocean ;  the  settlement  of  the  boundary  line  on  the  northeast 
frontier  of  Maine;  the  re-modifying  of  the  tariff  and  the  domestic  difficulties 
in  Rhode  Island,  were  events  of  great  interest.  A  tariff  for  revenue  only  was 
adopted.  The  boundary  line  of  Maine  was  fixed  by  the  Webster-Ashburton 
treaty,  giving  the  United  States  jurisdiction  over  a  large  part  of  the  disputed 
territory.  Rhode  Island  had  some  difficulty  in  forming  a  State  Constitution 
which  divided  the  citizens  into  two  parties,  the  "  suffrage  "  and  the  "  law  and 
order  "  party.  The  threatened  rupture  caused  the  governor  to  invoke  the 
aid  of  the  general  government,  and  the  administration  favored  the  "  law  and 
order  "  party,  which  resulted  in  the  adoption  of  a  constitution  in  November, 
1842.  .  The  old  charter  from  England  had  been  in  force  up  to  this  time,  but 
tlic  new  constitution,  more  in  accord  with  the  system  of  government  in  the 
other  States,  went  into  effect  on  the  first  Tuesday  in  May,  1843. 

Texas  was  an  independent  State  and  was  seeking  admission  to  the  Union, 
but  on  account  of  the  introduction  of  slavery  into  its  constitution  there  was 
strong  opposition  to  it  in  the  North.  A  treaty  for  its  admission  was  signc  1 
April  1 2th,  1844,  but  was  rejected  by  the  Senate.  The  subject  then  came  up 
in  the  form  of  a  joint  resolution  which  passed  both  Houses  of  Congress  in 
March  ist,  1845,  and  was  signed  by  Mr.  Tyler.  This  question  had  entered 
iiito  the  election  of  1844,  when  James  K.  Polk,  one  of  the  candidates  for 
President  of  the  United  States,  who  was  pledged  to  the  measure,  was  elected 
by  a  decided  majority.  The  last  official  act  of  Mr.  Tyler  was  to  sign  the  bills 
for  the  admission  of  Florida  and  Iowa  into  the  family  of  States,  March 
3rd,  1845. 


'W\U:\ 


(      ■   I 


II 


ADMINISTRATION   OF   POLK,  AND   MEXICAN   WAR. 

The  absorbing  matters  which  demanded  the  immediate  attention  of  the 
new  administration  was  the  annexation  of  Texas,  and  the  settlement  of  the 
northwest  boundary  on  the  northern  line  of  Oregon.  President  Tyler  had 
sent  a  messenger  to  the  Texan  government  informing  them  of  the  action  of 
Congress,  and  a  convention  was  called  to  accept  the  measure.    They  adopted 


ill 


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446 


OUR  NATION; 


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a  State  Constitution  July  4th,  1845,  and  the  "  Lone  Star  State  "  was  added  to 
the  American  Union.  The  other  question  received  immediate  attention.  A 
vast  territory  between  the  Rocky  Mountains  and  the  Pacific  Ocean,  had  been 
in  dispute  between  England  and  the  United  States.  In  1818  they  had  njj-cec! 
to  occupy  the  bays,  harbors  and  rivers  in  common.  This  was  renewed  in 
1827  for  an  indefinite  period,  with  the  promise  that  either  government  mi(;ht 
rescind  on  giving  a  year's  notice  to  the  other.  The  United  States  gave  sucli 
notice  in  1846.  The  United  States  and  Great  Britain  each  claimed  the  v.  hole 
territory  to  54  degrees  and  40  mini  es  north  latitude,  and  the  cry  .vas  "  54-40 
or  fight,"  but  at  last  a  peaceful  seltijment  was  agreed  upon  on  th.c  49th  par- 
allel of  north  latitude. 

The  annexation  of  Texas,  as  had  been  predicted,  caused  a  rupture  be- 
tween the  United  States  and  Mexico.  The  latter  government  still  claimed 
the  right  to  Texas,  although  it  had  been  acknowl  .ged  to  be  an  independent 
State  by  tlie  United  States,  England,  France  and  other  governments.  Tl;e 
Mexican  M mister  at  Washington  demanded  his  passports,  and  on  June  4th, 
1845,  the  President  of  Mexico  issued  his  proclamation,  declaring  his  intentii)!i 
to  appeal  to  arms.  The  United  States  had  also  other  questions  to  settle  with 
that  Republic,  growing  out  of  its  treatment  of  United  States'  citizens.  Aii 
American  army  was  sent  to  the  extreme  southeastern  confines  of  Texas,  aiul 
erected  a  fortification  within  easy  range  of  the  city  of  Matamoras.  General 
Zachary  Taylor  was  sent  by  the  President  to  take  command  of  the  forces 
there.  "An  army  of  occupation  "  was  organized  and  soon  entered  the  terri- 
tory of  Mexico.  The  first  blood  was  shed  at  Fort  Brown,  on  the  Rio  Grande 
opposite  Matamoras,  which  the  Mexicans  cannonaded  and  attacked  with  a 
superior  force.  The  Commander,  Major  Brown,  was  mortally  wounded,  and 
a  signal  was  given  for  General  Taylor  to  advance  to  the  Rio  Grande,  lie 
met  and  overcame  an  army  of  si.x  thousand  Mexicans  under  iXrista,  at  Palo 
Alto,  and  hastened  toward  Fort  Brown.  The  next  day  he  overtook  and  coii- 
quercd  a  strongly  fortified  army  at  a  place  called  Resaca  de  la  Palma.  A 
number  of  prisoners  were  taken  and  the  army  of  Northern  Mexico  was  com- 
pletely broken  up.  These  two  battles  were  fought  on  the  7th  and  the  9th  of 
May. 

When  the  news  of  this  first  bloodshed  reached  New  Orleans  the  whole 
countr)'  was  aroused.  Congress  had  declared,  "by  the  act  of  the  Repul)liv.  of 
Mexico  a  state  of  war  exists  between  the  United  Stati-s  and  that  L^oxern- 
ment."       It  authorized  the  Executive  to  raise  an  army  of  fifty  thousand  vul- 


\in  I 


THE  STORY  OF  ITS  PROGRESS  AND  GROWTH. 


447 


unteers,  and  appropriated  ten  million  dollars  toward  defraying  the  expenses 
of  the  war.  The  war  with  Mexico  was  a  series  of  victories  for  the  United 
States.  The  Mexicans  were  driven  out  of  Matamoras  May  i8th.  Monterey 
was  besieged  September  2ist,  and  surrendered  September  24th.  An  iuniis- 
tice  was  then  observed  until  November  13th.  Saltillo,  the  capital  of  Coha- 
luiila,  was  captured  November  15th.  Santa  Anna,  the  Mexican  General,  sur- 
rendered Tampico  the  day  before,  November  14th.  All  these  victories  were 
gained  by  General  Taylor,  who  had  been  in  command ;  but  now  there  came 
a  severe  trial  of  his  patriotism  and  patience.  General  Winfield  Scott,  who 
was  his  superior  in  rank,  was  sent  to  take  command  in  Mexico,  and  General 
Taylor  was  lef*-  with  a  command  of  only  five  hundred  regulars  and  five  thou- 
sand volunteers  On  February  22d,  the  anniversary  of  the  birth  of  Washiiig- 
ton,  the  little  band  of  General  Taylor  was  attacked  by  twenty  thousand 
Mexicans  under  Santa  Anna,  who,  after  a  severe  battle,  were  repulsed  b)-  the 
Americans, 

While  these  victories  were  bei-ig  gained  in  Central  Mexico,  "  The  Army 
of  the  West "  was  sent,  under  command  of  General  Kearney,  to  Northern 
Mexico.  This  army  took  possession  of  Santa  Fe,  the  capital  of  New  Mexico, 
August  i8th.  Here  Kearney  received  information  that  the  conquest  of  Cali- 
fornia had  already  been  achieved  by  Commodore  Stockton  and  Lieutenant 
Colonel  Fremont,  who  had  aroused  the  resident  Americans  on  the  Pacific  coast 
and  captured  Sonoma  Pass,  June  15th,  1846,  and  driven  all  the  Mexicans  out  of 
that  region  July  5th.  On  the  7th  P/Ionterey  had  been  bombarded  and  cap- 
tured. The  Commodore  and  Lieutenant-Colonel  had  entered  San  Francisco 
on  the  9th.  The  city  of  Los  Angelos  had  surrendered  on  the  i"th,  and  Fre- 
mont had  been  the  true  liberator  of  the  whole  Pacific  coast.  General  Kearney 
on  receiving  this  information  pushed  on  his  forces,  and  met  Conur.odore 
Stockton,  and  Lieutenant-Colonel  Fremont  (December  27th,  1S46);  and  with 
them  shared  the  final  honors  which  completed  the  concuest  of  California. 
Fremont  wanted  to  be  governor  of  the  territory  he  had  con(iueretl.  and  his 
claims  were  favored  by  Commodore  Stockton  and  all  the  people,  but  General 
Kearney,  his  superior  in  rank,  refused  to  allow  it.  Fremont  would  not  obe}- 
hini  but  issued  a  proclamation  as  governor.  He  was  called  home  to  be  tried 
for  disobedience  of  orders.  His  commission  was  taken  from  him,  but  the 
Prcsitlcnt  offered  to  return  it  the  next  da}'.  Fremont  refusetl  to  accept  it, 
and  turned  again  to  the  wilderness  to  engage  in  exploration. 

While  General  Koarney  was  gone  to  California,  Colonel  Doniphan,  with 


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44S 


OUR  NATION 


one  thousand  Missouri  volunteers,  forced  the  Navajo  Indians  to  sign  a  trcatv 
of  peace,  November,  1846,  and  then  led  his  troops  southward  to  join  General 
Wool.  He  met  and  overcame  a  large  force  of  Mexicans  at  Braciti,  in  tlic 
valley  of  the  Rio  del  Norte,  on  December  22d.  The  Mexican  General  sent 
word  to  him,  "  We  will  neither  ask  nor  give  quarter."  With  a  black  flag  the 
Mexicans  advanced,  and  the  Missourians  fell  on  their  faces.  The  Mexicans, 
thinking  them  all  killed,  rushed  forward  to  plunder  them,  but  the  whole  force 
sprang  to  their  feet  and  fired  with  such  deadly  effect  as  to  disperse  the  Mexi- 
cans with  great  slaughter.  Colonel  Doniphan  met  another  force  of  Mexicans, 
four  thousand  strong,  February  28th,  1847,  ^"^'  completely  routed  them.  He 
raised  the  American  flag  over  Chihuahua,  a  city  of  forty  thousand  inhabitants, 
March  2nd,  and  after  resting  six  weeks  marched  to  Saltillo,  and  turned  over 
his  command  to  General  Wool.  He  had  made  a  perilous  march  of  five  thou- 
sand miles,  from  the  Mississippi,  won  two  great  battles,  and  then  returned  to 
New  Orleans.  All  Northern  Mexico  and  California  were  now  in  possession 
of  the  Americans,  and  General  Winfield  Scott  was  on  his  way  to  the  city  of 
Mexico. 

General  Scott  landed  before  Vera  Cruz  with  an  army  of  thirteen  tluni- 
sand  men  on  March  9th,  1847.  The  squadron  was  in  command  of  Commodore 
Connor.  The  city  was  invested  March  13th,  and  held  out  until  the  27th,  when 
the  Americans  took  possession  of  Vera  Cruz,  and  cajJtured  five  thousaml 
prisoners  and  five  hundred  guns.  Ten  days  after  this,  General  Scott  com- 
menced his  march  inland,  ant!  on  the  iSth  of  April  he  fought  and  won  the 
battle  of  Cerro  Gordo,  at  the  foot  of  the  Cordilleras.  More  than  a  thousaiul 
Mexicans  were  killed  and  three  thousand  taken  prisoners.  The  latter  Scott 
dismissed  on  parole,  which  the)-  at  once  violated.  The  victorious  army  en- 
tered the  city  of  Jalapa  on  the  i8th,  and  on  the  22nd  of  April,  General  Worth 
unfurled  the  .Stars  and  Stripes  on  tlie  summit  of  tlie  Cordilleras,  fifty  miles 
beyond  the  city  of  Jalapa.  Hut  the  victorious  army  did  not  halt  here.  They 
marched  forward,  and  on  the  15th  of  May,  1847,  took  possession  of  the  well- 
fortified  city  of  Puebla,  containing  eighty  thousand  inhabitants.  Here  thev 
lialted  to  rest  for  a  while.  In  the  short  space  of  two  months  an  army  of  ten 
thousand  men  had  captured  a  larger  number  of  prisoners  than  the  army  itself, 
taken  possession  of  the  strongest  posts  on  the  continent,  and  were  waiting 
for  the  order  "on  to  Mexico."  In  August,  after  being  reinforced  by  fresh 
troops,  Scott  resumed  his  triumphal  march  to  new  victories.  August  20th, 
the  camp  of  six  thousand  Mexicans  at  Contreras  was  defeated  by  an  Ameri- 


1  "s 


THE  STORY  OF  ITS  PROGRESS  AND  GROWTH. 


449 


can  detachment  under  General  Smith.  Cherubusco  was  taken  at  the  same 
time  by  General  Scott.  An  army  thirty  thousand  strong,  in  the  heart  of  its 
own  country,  had  been  broken  up  by  one  less  than  a  third  of  that  number.  The 
American  army  were  at  the  very  gates  of  the  city  of  Mexico  and  might  have 
entered  in  triumph,  but  General  Scott  held  out  the  olive  branch  of  peace  and 
would  have  spared  the  Mexicans  that  disgrace.  A  flag  of  truce  from  Santa 
Anna  came  asking  for  an  armistice,  which  was  granted.  Mr.  Nicholas  P. 
Trist,  a  commissioner  of  peace,  appointed  by  the  United  States,  was  sent  to 
the  city  to  treat  with  Santa  Anna,  but  returned  with  the  information  that  he 
had  not  only  rejected  the  offer  with  scorn,  but  was  violating  the  armistice  by 
strengthening  his  defenses. 

General  Scott  began  his  demonstration  against  the  city,  September  8th, 
when  a  body  of  less  than  four  thousand  troops  attacked  a  superior  force  at 
EI  Molinos  del  Rcy,  near  Chapultepec,  and  at  first  suffered  the  only  repulse 
of  the  war,  but  afterwards  rallied  and  drove  the  Mexicans  before  them.  On 
tlic  morning  of  the  13th  of  September,  the  flag  of  the  United  States  was  un- 
furled over  the  ruined  castle  of  Chapultepec,  and  Santa  Anna  was  tleein^f,  a 
fugitive,  with  his  shattered  army  and  the  officers  of  government.  September 
14th,  the  army  of  the  United  States  entered  the  city  of  Mexico  in  triumph, 
and  planted  the  Stars  and  Stripes  over  the  National  Palace.  Order  was  soon 
restored  in  that  ancient  capital,  and  when  a  provisional  government  could  be 
formed,  peace  was  declared.  Mexico  gave  up  California,  Arizona  and  New 
Mexico,  and  conceded  all  the  claims  of  the  United  States.  Me.xico  \\as 
evacuated  by  the  American  army,  and  twelve  million  dollars  were  paid  by  tlie 
United  .States  to  Mexico  in  four  annual  instalments.  The  United  States  also 
assumed  the  debts  due  to  private  citizens  to  the  amount  of  three  millions 

This  treaty  was  signed  on  February  2d,  1848.  The  very  next  month  gold 
was  discovered  in  large  quantities  in  California,  and  Piesident  Polk  in  his 
annual  message,  in  December,  1848,  published  the  fact  to  the  world.  The 
gold  (ever  broke  out  all  over  the  States,  and  spread  to  other  countries;  and 
luring  the  whole  year  of  1849  a  constant  stream  of  emigration  flowing  across 
the  plains  and  around  Cape  Horn,  went  to  this  Eldorado  of  the  West  to  find 
the  wealth  which  the  early  Spanish  and  French  adventurers  had  sought  in 
vain.  Thousands  came  from  Europe  and  South  America,  and  ship-loads  of 
Chinese  came  from  Asia.  The  dreams  of  the  \'oj'agers  in  the  fifteenth  century 
seemed  to  be  realized  in  the  nineteenth.  Emigrants  continued  to  flock  tliithcr, 
and  yet  (^l888)  the  supply  is  not  exhausted. 


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450 


OUR  NATION 


TIic  popularity  wliich  General  Taylor  had  acquired  in  the  Mexican  war 
by  his  victories  and  his  patriotism,  led  to  his  nomination  and  election  to  the 
Presidency,  with  Millard  Fillmore  as  Vice  President. 

Two  domestic  measures  during  the  administration  of  James  K.  Polk  had 
been  very  popular.  The  establishment  of  a  national  treasury  system,  and  a 
protective  tariff.  Wisconsin  was  admitted  to  the  Union,  May  29th,  1848, 
makinL,^  thirty  States  in  all.  At  this  point  we  will  stop  for  a  while  to  review  a 
dark  episode  in  American  history. 


iiUl 


THE  PERIOD  OF  AGITATION. 


'*  "I 


\Vk  liavc  brought  our  readers  down  the  line  of  events  to  the  time  the 
twelfth  President  was  about  to  take  his  seat  of  office.  We  have  seen  the 
continent  relieved  from  the  sway  of  its  savage  and  barbarous  inhabitants  and 
settled  with  an  active,  energetic  population  of  freemen  who  had  acquired 
their  independence;  subdued  the  wilderness;  developed  its  resources;  spread 
their  white-winged  commerce  on  every  sea;  explored  their  own  territory  and 
made  discoveries  in  other  parts  of  the  world ;  driven  the  pirates  from  their 
own  borders  and  humbled  the  pirates  in  the  Mediterr..;  ean ;  compelled  the 
respect  due  to  their  flag  from  other  nations,  and  established  their  widest 
boundaries  by  peaceful  diplomacy  or  glorious  war.  They  had  grown  from 
thirteen  States  to  thirty  ami  their  domain  now  stretched  in  one  broad  belt 
from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific,  and  from  the  lakes  to  the  gulf,  with  no  nation 
to  challenge  their  right.     They  were  prosperous  at  home  and  respected  abroad. 

The  indus,.  y,  intelligence  and  enterprise  of  our  citizens  are  unparalleled, 
.uul  their  inventions,  discoveries  and  mechanical  arts  are  astonishing  the 
iniiabitants  of  the  old  world.  The  inventors  and  discoverers  of  the  United 
States  have  revolutionized  the  commerce,  the  manufactures  and  the  travel  of 
tlie  i)ast.  The  steamboat,  the  electric  telegraph,  the  cotton  gin  and  the  in- 
ventions in  ever}-  department  of  trade  have  startled  the  inhabitants  of  Lui  pe 
from  their  dream  of  centuries.  But  in  spite  of  the  growth  in  material 
strength,  in  national  domain  and  wealth,  there  was  for  a  long  period  a  dark 
blot  upon  the  country,  and  the  agitation  and  strife  which  it  was  continually 
causing,  gave  reasons  for  constant  alarm  to  our  wisest  and  best  statesmen. 
How  to  deal  with  this  subject  was  a  serious  question  to  the  moralist,  the 
l^atriot  and  the  philanthropist.  That  question  was  the  presence  of  American 
slavery  and  its  insatiate  demand  for  more  territory. 

To  go  back  to  the  beginning:  England  had  forced  the  African  slave  trade 
upon  the  unwilling  colonists,  and  her  parliament  had  watched  with  fostering 
care  this  hideous  traffic.     In  the  first  half  of  the  eighteenth  century   Lliere 


452 


OUR  NATION 


w' 


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was  constant  legislation  in  its  favor,  and  every  restraint  upon  its  largest 
development  was  removed  with  solicitous  regard.  Twenty  negro  slaves  were 
sold  to  the  planters  of  Virginia  in  the  same  year  when  the  pilgrims  lantlcd  at 
Plymouth  (1620),  and  these  were  the  first  brought  into  the  present  domain  of 
the  United  States  of  America.  In  December,  1671,  Sir  John  Yeamans,  Gover- 
nor of  South  Carolina,  brought  two  hundred  black  slaves  with  him  from  the 
West  Indies.  "In  1641,  the  blacks  were  recognized  in  law  as  slaves  by  Massa- 
chusetts. In  Connecticut  and  Rhode  Island  in  1650;  in  New  York  in  1656; 
in  Maryland  in  1663,  and  in  New  Jer^-jy  in  1665.  There  were  some  slaves  in 
Pennsylvania  and  Delaware  about  16(^0.  In  North  and  South  Carolina,  they 
were  introduced  at  the  time  of  settlement.  In  Georgia  the  use  of  slaves  was 
prohibited  by  law,  but  the  planters  evaded  the  law  by  hiring  servants  fi)r  one 
hundred  years,  paying  their  owners  in  the  other  colonies  the  value  of  such 
slaves.  In  New  Hampshire  the  slaves  came  with  the  settlers  from  Massa- 
chusetts. So  we  see  that  slavery  could  be  found,  under  the  sanction  of  law, 
in  every  one  c ."  the  original  thirteen  States,  at  the  opening  of  the  eighteenth 
century.  The  British  government  seemed  determined  to  encourage  the 
importation  of  slaves  into  the  West  Indies  and  the  American  Colonies  by 
every  means  in  its  power.  The  Colonies  sought  to  check  the  increase  by 
imposing  a  tax  on  slaves  brought  into  them,  but  Parliament  compelled  its 
repeal.  A  hundred  acres  of  land  in  the  West  Indies  was  given  to  every 
planter  who  would  keep  four  slaves.  Forts  were  built  and  manned  on  the 
African  coast  to  protect  the  men  who  were  engaged  in  this  traffic.  The 
most  humiliating  chapter  in  the  history  of  England  was  in  regard  to. this  sub- 
ject. As  late  as  the  year  1749,  the  English  Parliament  passed  an  act  bestow- 
ing still  greater  encouragement  upon  the  traffic,  in  which  it  was  stated:  "The 
slave-trade  is  very  advantageous  to  Great  Britain." 

The  moral  sense  of  New  England  was  opposed  to  slavery,  and  very  early 
the  idea  became  prevalent  there  that  it  was  unscriptural  to  hold  a  baptized 
person  in  slavery.  They  did  not  however  liberate  their  slaves,  but  often 
withheld  religious  instruction  from  them.  The  magnates  of  the  church  and 
the  officers  of  the  crown  endeavored  to  put  them  right  on  this  question,  and 
the  Colonial  Assemblies  passed  laws  to  reassure  the  people  that  it  was  right 
to  hold  Christians  in  slavery. 

Before  the  Revolution  three  hundred  thousand  slaves  had  been  brought 
into  the  Colonies  from  Africa,  and  at  that  time  there  were  half  a  million  slaves 
scattered  over  the  country.     These  were  in  every  Colony,  although  there  were 


m^.  . 


THE  STORY  OF  ITS  PROGRESS  AND  GROWTH. 


453 


but  thirty  thousaiul  in  the  North,  The  chiUlrcn  of  the  Puritans  owned 
Indians,  and  in  due  time  came  to  hold  Africans,  but  the  soil  was  hard  and 
sterile  and  required  that  the  tiller  should  be  a  person  of  thought  and  intelli- 
^r^nce.  All  kinds  of  labor  demanded  brain  as  well  as  physical  force,  and  for 
this  reason  slave  labor  in  the  North  was  never  remunerative,  and  gradually 
the  slave  populat'-n  steadily  diminished.  The  moral  sentiment  as  well  as 
the  condition  of  the  soil  and  climate  of  the  North  was  opposed  to  the  whole 
system  of  involuntary  servitude. 

There  were  different  conditions  in  the  fertile  and  sunny  South.  The 
climate  was  congenial  to  the  African  and  the  soil  was  productive  to  the 
extreme  of  luxuriance.  The  crops  were  such  as  the  unskilled  labor  of  the 
slave  could  produce  with  jirofit  to  his  master — tobacco,  cotton  and  rice.  The 
land  in  the  South  was  divided  into  large  plantations  and  the  cities  were 
mostly  engaged  i'.  the  export  of  the  staple  products  of  the  soil.  Yet  for  all 
this,  at  the  time  of  the  Revolution  there  was  a  very  wide  .ii)read  opposition  to 
the  institution  of  slavery.  The  free  spirit  which  influenced  the  patriots  was 
antagonistic  to  the  whole  idea  of  human  bondage.  The  leaders  of  the  conflict 
were  many  of  them  slaveholders,  but  they  regarded  the  institution  as  odious 
and  wrong.  Washington  provided  in  his  will  for  the  freedom  of  his  slaves. 
Hamilton  and  Jay  were  members  of  a  society  which  aimed  at  the  gradual 
abolition  of  the  whole  system.  John  Adams  was  deadly  opposed  to  it.  Patrick 
Henry,  Franklin,  Madison  and  Monroe,  were  outspoken  against  it.  Jefferson, 
who  wrote  the  first  draft  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  himself  a 
Virginian,  said  "  I  tremble  for  my  country  when  I  remember  that  God  is 
just."  When  the  convention  that  met  to  frame  the  Constitution  assembled 
in  Philadelphia,  the  feeling  was  strong  against  slavery,  and  had  the  majority 
followed  their  own  conviction  of  right,  a  provision  would  have  been  incor- 
porated for  its  gradual  and  final  extinction.  B'  t  the  desire  to  frame  a  docu- 
ment that  would  be  acceptable  to  all  the  States  led  to  a  tender  treatment  of 
the  subject,  and  finally  to  one  of  those  compromises  which  have  marked  the 
whole  course  of  legislation  upon  the  subject  for  more  than  eighty  j-ears,  and 
in  time  resulted  in  the  most  destructive  internal  war  which  has  ever  come  to 
any  nation.  It  was  proposed  to  prohibit  the  importation  of  slaves  at  once, 
and  all  the  Northern  and  most  of  the  Southern  members  were  in  favor  of  it. 
But  the  delegates  of  South  Carolina  and  Georgia  threatened  to  withdraw 
from  the  convention  if  this  was  done;  and  instead,  it  was  provided  that  tlie 
traffic  should  cease  at  the  expiration  of  twenty  years,  or  at  the  close  of  1807. 


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454 


OUR   NATION: 


hi' 


Usiiijf  the-  same  tlircat  of  disunion,  the  slavflinldcr  of  the  extreme  South 
gained  other  concessions  of  jj[reat  importance.  First,  that  if  a  person  escaped 
from  a  slave  State  to  a  free  State  that  circumstance  did  not  mal\e  him  free; 
anil  second  that  in  the  apportionment  for  representatives  to  Congress  the  pop. 
ulation  of  white  citizens  should  be  enumerated,  and  to  this  should  he  addid 
three-fifths  of  all  other  persons  excluding  Indians  not  taxed.  While  tiiu 
words  slave  and  slavery  are  not  to  be  found  in  the  Constitution,  b)-  these 
concessions  to  the  slaveholders  the  institution  was  intrenched  within  the 
organic  law  of  the  land.  So  the  first  and  most  important  victory  was  gained 
for  the  abettors  of  the  evil. 

K\en  in  the  South  there  wis  a  strong  public  sentiment  against  tliu 
system.  Slave  owners  acknowledged  its  evils  and  freely  discussed  it.  Tiie 
pulpit  preached  against  it,  and  men  prophesied  its  extinction.  The  meanest 
black  might  hope  that  the  time  \vould  come  when  the  words  of  the  Declara- 
tion of  Independence  would  apply  to  him. 

The  purchase  of  the  vast  domain  of  Louisiana  from  France  opened  up  a 
mighty  region  to  the  profitable  cultivation  of  sugar  cane  and  cotton  bj-  slaw 
labor.  The  growth  of  cotton  was  becoming  a  matter  of  great  importaiici. 
The  invention  of  the  spinning  jenny  by  Richard  Arkwright  in  England,  in 
1768,  followed  by  the  introduction  of  steam  power  by  James  Watts,  had 
created  an  extensive  demantl  for  cotton,  which  Great  Britain  could  oidy  find 
in  sufficient  quantity  and  proper  cpialit)'  in  the  Southern  States  of  the  American 
Union.  Eli  Whitney,  a  New  England  farmer's  son,  was  a  born  mechanic.  In 
1792,  he  was  on  a  \isit  to  the  home  of  Mrs.  General  Cireene,  in  the  State  of 
Georgia,  and  heard  of  the  trouble  which  surrouiuled  the  cotton  planters  in 
sei)arating  the  fibers  of  the  cotton  from  the  seed,  and  the  wish  that  some  devic^ 
should  be  invented  to  overcome  this.  Young  Whitney  set  his  inventive  genius 
at  work  to  construct  a  machine  for  this  purpose,  and  after  much  study,  many 
improvements,  and  oft-repeated  failures,  finally  invented  the  cotton  gin.  Tiu- 
planters  of  Georgia  saw  in  the  rudely  constructed  machine  exhibited  to  tlieni 
in  the  back  room  of  Mrs.  Greene's  residence,  the  possibility  of  untold  wealtii 
for  them,  and  heeded  it  as  a  sign  of  their  deliverance  from  this  trouble.  Tiie 
cotton  gin  made  the  growing  of  cotton  vastly  more  remunerative  than  ever 
before.  But  the  South  treated  the  brain  work  of  the  eminent  mechanic  with 
great  injustice.  The  secret  of  the  inventor  was  stolen  and  used  ii  making 
machines  without  remunerating  him.     The  inventor  of  the  instrument  which 


TIIK  STOKV  OF  ITS  rKOCKKSS  AM)  (iKOWTlI. 


455 


>r;i\c  the  cotton-^rn\viii<^  States  their  supremacy  in  tlu'  markets  of  tlie  world, 
aiiii  brou<Tht  a  constant  flow  of  w  taltli  to  tlicir  tioors,  cHcil  a  poor  man. 

To  return  from  tiiis  ciijjression  : 

Ten  years  after  Wliitney's  cotton  gin  had  been  invented,  Louisana  was 
added  to  the  United  States.  ;ind  there  was  a  great  demand  for  shives.  The 
iHMthern  tier  of  slave  States  began  t(>  grow  slaves  for  the  southern  market. 

The  interstate  slave  trade  became  pecuniarily  profitable  to  both  sections 
of  the  groups  of  slave  States,  and  public  sentiment  on  the  subject  of  the 
wrongfulness  of  slavery  became  materially  modified. 

The  new  generation  that  came  upon  the  field  of  active  life  saw  oidy  the 
remains  of  the  old  order  of  things,  and  found  the  slave  system  almost  unrver- 
sail)'  ajjjirovcd  as  an  economic  instrument  and  oidy  mildlj-  condemned  by  a 
few  as  contrary  to  Christian  ethics.  They  accepted  the  situation  as  a  matter 
(if  course.  It  was  their  heritage,  and  their  right  as  guaranteed  to  them  by 
law. 

The  new  generation  found  in  their  midst  an  inferior  ci.'.ss  of  human 
beings,  intellectually,  a  vast  majority  of  whom  appeared  to  be  ccM^.tcu  with 
their  lot,  and,  ;is  a  rule,  were  happy.  They  were  depeiident ;  devoid  of  care; 
docile;  obedient;  e.isily  won  to  the  embraces  of  Christianity  as  preser.ted  to 
tliem;  ami  many  gootl  nien  and  women  saw  in  the  corresponding  relations 
<'f  the  two  races  which  circumstances  had  created,  a  field  for  the  exercise  of 
widespreatl  benevolence.  They  persuaded  themselves  that  the  slave  system 
w.is  a  cixilizing  ami  Christianizing  force,  providentially  designed  to  place  the 
N'LL,nd  upon  a  higher  plane  of  intelligence  and  surround  him  with  more  ele- 
git ing  influences  than  he  could  ever  have  oiAtained  in  his  native  land.  Such 
sentiments  were  widely  promulgated  bj-  the  Pulpit  and  the  Press,  the  most 
puissant  uttcrers  of  doctrines  and  principles,  religious  and  political. 

The  change  in  the  sentiments  of  the  clergy,  in  the  slave  States,  during 
the  twenty-five  years  preceding  the  Civil  War  was  most  rema/kable.  We 
will  notice  oidy  two  or  three  instances  in  a  single  religious  body — the  Presby- 
terians. In  1835,  representatives  of  that  denomination  in  South  Carolina  and 
Georgia,  in  convention  assembled,  maile  an  ofllcial  report  against  the  perpe- 
tration of  the  system  of  .Slavery. 

"We  cannot  go  into  detail,"  they  said :  "it  is  unnecessary.  We  make 
our  appeal  to  universal  experience.  We  are  chained  to  a  putrid  carcass.  It 
sickens  and  destroys  us.     We  have  a  millstone  about  the  neck  of  our  Society 


! 


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45(3 


OUR  NATION: 


''•'^1 


to  sink  us  deep  in  the  Sea  of  Vice.     Our  children  are  corrupted  from  their 
infancy,  nor  can  we  prevent  it,"  etc. 

In  November,  i860,  an  eminent  Doctor  of  Divinity  in  the  Presbyterian 
Church  said,  in  his  pulpit  in  New  Orleans,  after  speaking  of  the  character  of 
the  South  : — "  The  particular  trust  assigned  to  such  a  people  becomes  a  pledge 
of  Divine  protection,  ind  their  fidelity  to  it  determines  the  fate  by  which  it  is 
finally  overtaken.  What  that  trust  is  must  be  ascertained  from  the  necessities 
of  their  positions,  the  institutions  which  are  the  outgrowth  of  their  principles, 
and  the  conflicts  through  which  they  preserve  their  identity  and  independence. 
If,  then,  the  South  is  such  a  people,  what,  at  this  juncture,  is  the  providential 
trust?  I  answer,  that  it  is  fo  co/isinr  and  to  perpetuate  the  institution  of  do- 
viestie  shwery  as  no7L>  existing:" 

Ten  or  fifteen  )-cars  before  the  Civil  War,  an  eminent  Doctor  of  Di- 
vinity in  Charleston,  S.  C,  in  a  pamphlet,  referred  to  the  Declaration  of 
Independence  as  the  product  of  Presbyterians  and  as  of  almost  Divine 
origin.  In  November,  1860,  he  said,  in  his  pulpit,  that  lie  "found  in  the  in- 
fidel, atheistic,  French  Revolution,  Red  Republican  principle,  embodied  as 
an  axiomatic  principle  in  the  Declaration  of  Independence,"  the  root  of  all 
our  evils. 

The  President  of  a  Theological  Seminary,  at  Columbia,  S.  C,  asserted  his 
convictions  that  the  African  slave-trade  was  "the  most  worthy  of  all  mis- 
sionary Societies." 

Happily,  the  logic  of  events  has  relegated  such  sent.ments  to  the  shadowy 
realms  of  the  past,  and  the  "  New  South  "  is  working  oui  its  noble  destiny  on 
a  higher  plane  of  action.  We  have  alluded  to  these  things  only  to  illustrate 
the  changeful  phases  of  public  opinion  during  the  period  of  agitation  whicli 
we  are  considering. 

When  the  State  of  Louisiana  was  admitted  into  the  Union,  in  181::,  the 
vast  northern  part  of  the  purchase  from  France  was  without  white  inhabitants. 
This  region  was  rich  in  natural  resources.  Iron,  copper  and  coal  enough  to 
supply  the  earth  lay  beneath  its  surface.  Large  rivers  flowed  in  natural 
highways  to  the  seas.  The  climate  was  genial  ami  mild.  Gradually  settlers, 
came  fjockiiig  thither.  The  slave-holder  with  his  bond-serxants  was  the  first 
in  the  field,  and  the  free  settler  turned  aside  to  the  northwest,  from  whieh 
slavery  had  been  excluded  b\-  the  act  of  the  C'ontinental  Congress.  So  Mis- 
souri became  a  sl.ive  State.  In  1818,  there  were  sixt)'  thousand  persons  in 
the  Territor)'  of  .Missouri,  and  she  was  knocking  at  the  doors  of  Congress  fur 


THE  STORY  OF  ITS  PROGRPLSS  AND  GROWTH. 


457 


persons  in 


:admission.  The  slave  States  of  Kentucky,  Tennessee,  Alabama,  and  Missis- 
sippi, had  been  admitted  before  this  without  any  controversy,  but  now  the 
slave  power  was  becoming  too  aggressive  and  reaching  far  to  the  north.  The 
first  great  contest  between  the  North  and  the  South  was  fought  over  this 
question.  For  more  than  two  years  the  conflict  waged,  and  after  a  desperate 
fight  in  the  Halls  of  Congress  and  before  the  people,  resulted  in  the  Com- 
promise measure.  There  had  been  heated  debates  which  had  agitated  the 
whole  country  from  Maine  to  Louisiana.  The  compromise  was,  that  slavery 
should  be  allowed  in  all  States  south  of  36  degrees,  30  minutes  north  latitude, 
and  excluded  from  all  States  and  territories  north  of  that  latitude.  This 
conflict  ended  with  a  decided  victory  for  the  slave  power.  The  cotton  gin, 
the  admission  of  Louisiana,  and  the  teaching  of  events,  all  had  their  effect 
in  making  the  South  a  unit,  and  the  slave  power  very  strong  in  the  nation. 
The  institution  required  more  territory  for  its  expansion ;  and  this  policy 
never  changed.  The  agitation  which  had  begun  would  rage  over  the  country 
for  fifty  years,  and  find  its  solution  only  when  the  institution  lay  in  ruins  at 
tlie  end  of  a  gigantic  struggle  inaugurated  to  uphold  it  by  an  attempted  dis- 
solution of  the  Union.  Indeed  this  was  the  threat  all  through  the  contro- 
\  ersy  that  had  led  to  the  compromises  which  were  always  in  favor  of  the  slave 
power. 

The  active  liostilitj-  of  the  North  against  slavery  began  to  grow  in  the 
time  of  John  (Juincy  Adams  (18J5-1829).  General  Andrew  Jackson  was 
I'resident  from  1S29  to  1837,  and  during  a  part  of  the  same  time,  John  C. 
Calhoun  was  \'iee  President.  Tliis  question  was  the  overshadowing  one  for 
that  period.  The  South  found  a  faithful  ally  in  a  certain  class  at  the  North. 
People  in  the  h'ree  States  jjarticipated  in  gains  from  the  slave  system  in  the 
Soutli.  The  planter  borrowed  money  in  the  North,  and  sold  his  cotton  to 
the  Northern  manufacturer,  and  Northern  ships  were  engaged  in  the  cotton 
conveying  trade.  They  were  coining  money  out  of  the  peculiar  institution 
and  had  no  scruples  of  conscience  about  it.  There  was  a  wide-spread  opinion 
liiat  the  slave  of  the  South  was  in  better  condition  than  the  poorly  paid 
laborer  of  Europe;  and  that  was  all  that  could  be  asked.  It  was  claimed 
that  cotton  coidd  not  be  grown  without  slave  labor.  And  thus  the  institu- 
tion, intrenched  in  the  constitution,  became  united  in  the  South,  and  had  its 
friends  in  the  North.  There  seemed  no  hope  for  the  poor  black  now,  and 
the  South  began  to  exercise  absolute  political  domination  in  the  National 
Legislature.     But  there  was  an  influence  at  work  in  the  free  States,  at  first 


I    i: 


i  * 


458 


OUR  NATION: 


ml'' 


if?  '■•;■; 


I'  :,, 


•'■Ji 


!''fS^!    >-■ 


weak  and  insignificant,  but  like  the  leaven  hidden  in  the  three  measures  of 
meal,  affecting  the  whole  mass. 

On  the  first  day  of  January,  1831,  there  appeared  in  Boston  the  first 
number  of  a  paper,  called  the  "  Emancipator,"  published  by  a  journeyman 
printer,  William  Lloyd  Garrison.  It  was  devoted  to  the  furtherance  of  the 
abolition  of  slavery.  It  was  an  insignificant  opening  for  a  noble  enterprise, 
which  found  its  consummation  in  the  necessity  of  a  civil  war  that  threatened 
the  very  existence  of  the  Republic.  But  every  word  spoken  or  written  upon 
the  subject  found  some  willing  hearer  or  ready  reader,  and  gradually  the  in- 
fluence reached  the  pulpit,  the  political  caucus,  and  the  Halls  of  Congress. 
An  abolition  society  was  formed,  at  first  composed  of  twelve  members.  In 
three  years  there  were  two  hundred  such  organized,  and  in  seven  years  in- 
creased to  over  two  thousand  anti-slavery  societies.  The  contest  began  in 
earnest.     The  conflict  was  long  and  fiercely  waged. 

The  question  of  the  tariff  had  its  northern  and  southern  side ;  and  when 
the  nullifiers  of  South  Carolina,  in  1832,  resisted  the  government,  it  was  in  the 
interest  of  their  cherished  institution. 

There  is  another  side  to  the  topic  of  the  annexation  of  Texas  to  the  Union 
than  the  one  we  have  presented.  Texas  was  a  large,  uninhabited  tract  on 
the  southwest  border  of  the  country,  and  the  South  looked  upon  it  as  a  de- 
sirable region  for  the  spread  of  the  slavery  system.  The  climate  was  geni.d 
and  the  soil  rich.  It  was  of  uncertain  ownership,  but  it  was  recognized  as 
belonging  to  Mexico.  Under  a  grant  of  territory  to  a  citizen  of  Missouri, 
by  the  Spanish  authorities  hi  1820,  citizens  of  the  slave  .States  flocked  into 
Texas;  and  when,  in  1833,  there  were  20,000  Americans  there,  a  revohitionai}- 
movement  for  achieving  the  independence  of  Texas  began  under  the  leadei'- 
ship,  chiefly,  of  Samuel  Houston,  of  Virginia.  Mexican  troops  under  .S.uui 
Anna  invaded  Te.xas,  and  were  defeateil  in  battle,  by  Houston  ,vith  a  Texan 
force.  The  Mexicans  were  driven  from  the  country;  the  independence  of 
Texas  was  achieved  in  1836,  and  it  was  speeilily  acknowledged  by  the  United 
States,  Great  Britain,  France  and  other  nations. 

The  grateful  Texans  made  Houston  President  of  the  Republic  whicli  he 
had  thus  saved. 

Mexico  still  claimed  the  territory.  A  warm  debate  arose  in  Congress, 
and  the  first  proposal  from  Te.xas  to  enter  the  Union  was  rejected.  The 
conflict  became  bitter.  If  Texas  was  admitted  she  would  come  as  a  slave 
State;    on   this  ground   the   North   opposed   it,   and   the   South    favored    it. 


THE  STORY  OF  ITS  PROGRESS  AND  GROWTH. 


459 


measures  of 


lie  which  he 


Daniel  Webster  said,  "  We  all  see  that  Texas  will  be  a  slave-holding  Stat- 
and  I  frankly  avow  my  unwillingness  to  do  anything  which  shall  extend  the 
slavery  of  the  African  race  on  this  continent,  or  add  another  slave-holding 
State  to  the  Union."  The  Legislature  of  Mississippi  said  in  resolutions  on 
the  subject,  "  The  South  does  not  possess  a  blessing  with  which  the  affections 
of  her  people  are  so  closely  entwined,  and  whose  value  is  more  highly  appre- 
ciated. By  the  annexc'tion  of  Texas,  an  equipoise  of  influence  in  the  Halls 
of  Congress  will  be  secured  which  will  furnish  us  a  permanent  guarantee  of 
protection."  Such  was  the  plain  statement  of  the  question  from  both  sides. 
The  matter  went  to  the  people  and  resulted  in  a  victory  for  the  South.  Texas 
was  admitted,  two  votes  for  slavery  were  gained  in  the  Senate,  and  unlimited 
room  for  the  expansion  of  the  ancient  institution.  But  the  victory  cost  a  war 
Avith  a  sister  Republic,  in.  which  might  was  arrayed  against  right,  anci  the 
United  States  won  the  questionable  glory  of  conquering  a  weaker  power  and 
dismembering  her  territory  to  a  vast  extent.  In  this  IMexican  war  we  find 
the  names  of  many  men  who  won  their  first  military  honors  in  the  "  country 
under  the  sun,"  and  afterwards  took  a  conspicuous  place  in  history.  Ulysses 
S.  Grant  and  Robert  E.  Lee  took  part  in  this  war;  but  never  met  face  to  face 
until  many  years  afterwards,  when  they  had  a  conference  under  an  historic 
apple  tree,  near  yVppomatox  Court-House  in  Virginia,  to  arrange  for  the  sur- 
rcntler  of  a  brave  but  conquered  army.  General  Franklin  Pierce,  and  General 
Zachary  Taylor  were  also  in  the  war  with  Mexico,  and  became  Presidents  of 
the  United  States.  There  was  a  strong  opposition  to  this  war,  and  in  the 
North  dominant  public  opinion  was  ihstantly  aroused  in  regard  to  the  de- 
mands of  the  arrogant  slave  power. 

Thus  far  in  the  conflict  of  agitation  and  argument  the  South  had  gained 
at  every  move,  and  in  their  pritle  of  success  they  considered  themselves  safe 
to  demand  that  their  institution  should  be  considered  a  national  one.  But 
there  came  other  agencies  into  the  field,  and  the  very  war  which  had  been 
waged  in  Mexico  became,  under  Providence,  the  means  of  checking  their 
su[)reniacy  and  putting  an  end  to  the  accjuirement  of  any  more  slave  States. 
Of  the  original  thirteen  States,  Maryland,  Virginia,  North  Carolina,  South 
Carolina,  and  Georgia,  were  slave-hokling.  Kentucky,  Tennessee,  Mississippi, 
Alabama,  Florida,  Louisiana,  Arkansas,  Missouri,  and  Texas  had  been  addetl 
to  their  number.  But  now  there  was  to  be  a  halt,  and  the  voice  of  Providence 
seemed  to  say  "  Thus  far  shalt  thou  go  and  no  further,  and  here  shall  thy 
proud  waves  be  stayed."     The  discovery  of  gold,  and  the  rapid  increase  of 


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OUR  NATION; 


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population  in  California,  made  up  of  men  who  tame  to  carve  out  their  for- 
tunes, was  unfavorable  to  the  introduction  of  slavery,  and  the  people  fnuncd 
a  State  Constitution  and  asked  and  obtained  its  admission  as  a  free  State. 
This  was  a  grievous  disappointment  to  the  slave  States  which  had  been  so 
enthusiastic  in  pressing  on  the  Mexican  war,  for  the  sake  of  gaining  the  con- 
trol  of  new  States,  more  votes  in  the  United  States  Senate,  and  a  large  area 
for  the  spr-jad  of  slavery.  The  people  from  the  North  had  flocked  to  the 
Pacific  Coast  and  quickly  decided  the  fate  of  the  first  State  formed  on  that 
coast. 

But  we  will  now  resume  the  line  of  general  history  at  the  end  of  Mr, 
Polk's  administration.  General  Zachary  Taylor,  who  had  been  conspicuous 
for  his  bravery  and  patriotism  in  the  war  with  Mexico  was  elected  to  the 
Presidency  by  a  large  majority,  as  we  have  said.  • 

ADMINISTRATION   OF  ZACHARY  TAYLOR. 

The  twelfth  President  of  the  United  States  was  inaugurated  March  5th, 
1849 — the  4th  being  Sunday — and  from  the  start  had  the  sympathies  and  best 
wishes  of  a  large  majority  of  the  people.  The  administration  of  the  newl)  in- 
augurated incumbent  promised  to  be  one  of  unusual  happiness  and  prosperity. 

The  Constitution  framed  by  the  people  of  California  at  Monterey  was 
adopted  by  the  convention  on  the  first  day  of  September,  1849.  The  birtli 
and  formation  of  a  ciude  State  had  been  so  sudden  as  to  surprise  the  coun- 
try, having  been  only  twenty  months  from  the  time  of  the  discovery  of  gold. 
Edward  Gilbert  iuu\  G.  H.  Wright  were  sent  as  delegates  to  Congress  and 
John  C.  Fremont  and  William  M.  Gwin  were  elected  Senators,  and  appeared 
at  Washington  with  the  State  Constitution  in  their  h"nds,  and  j^resented  a 
petition  asking  to  be  received  as  a  free  and  independent  State.  Then  there 
came  a  severe  struggle  in  the  two  Houses  of  Congress  over  tlie  anti-slavery 
clause,  and  the  excitement  ran  high  all  over  the  country.  The  old  and  oft- 
repeated  threat  of  dis^ union  was  raised,  and  again  another  compromise  was 
effected.  Henry  Clay  appeared  as  a  peacemaker  and  implored  the  people  to 
make  any  sacrifice  but  honor  to  preserve  the  Union.  Daniel  Webster  warmly 
seconded  ^  he  efforts  of  Mr.  Clay  and  the  compromi.se  measure  was  passed 
September  9th,  1850.  This  is  known  as  the  "  Omnibus  Bill,"  and  provided 
■"  for  the  admission  of  California  as  a  free  State ;  second,  the  formation  of  the 
territory  of  Utah ;  third,  the  formation  of  the  territory  of  New  Mexico,  and 


THE  STORY  OF  ITS  PROGRESS  AND  GROWTH. 


461 


ten  million  dollars  be  paid  to  Texas  for  her  claim  on  this  territory;  fourth, 
the  abolition  of  slavery  in  the  District  of  Columbia;  fifth,  the  fugitive  slave 
l;i\v."  This  last  measure  was  extremely  unpopular  in  the  North.  Its  pro- 
visions were  excessively  obnoxious  to  the  whole  non  slave-holding  States, 
and  raised  a  storm  of  opposition,  evasion  and  violation,  which  led  to  serious 
disturbances  and  much  bitter  strife.  In  the  midst  of  this  excitement  the 
President  died,  and  was  succeeded  by  the  Vice  President,  Millard  Fillmore, 
July  9th,  1850. 

In  the  brief  administration  of  General  Tayloi,  there  had  been  a  number 
of  important  events  which  affected  the  issues  of  the  impending  Civil  War. 
One  of  these  was  the  invasion  of  Cuba  by  General  Lopez,  a  native  of  that 
island,  who  had  come  to  the  United  States  and  raised,  organized  and  equipped 
a  force  in  vioh-^'on  of  the  neutrality  laws.  He  landed  in  Cuba  the  19th  of 
April,  1850,  expecting  to  find  the  Cubans  ready  to  rise  and  make  a  strike  for 
freedom  from  Spain.  But  in  this  he  was  disappointed,  and  returned  to  the 
States  to  raise  a  larger  force.  Of  this  we  shall  speak  further  on.  The  other 
event  was  the  establishment  of  Mormonism  in  the  region  called  Utah,  a  large 
tract  of  country  midway  between  the  Mississippi  and  the  Pacific  Ocean.  The 
Mormons  composed  a  religious  sect  who  had  accepted  the  delusion  of  Joseph 
Smith,  in  1827,  and  had  emigrated  from  the  State  of  Illinois.  They  came 
across  the  plains  and  founded  their  settlement,  after  many  hardships  and 
trials,  in  a  land  aniong  the  mountains  in  mid  continent  which  they  called 
Ueseret.  They  were  fanatical  in  their  notions,  and  had  adopted  a  system  of 
marriage  which  was  antagonistic  to  the  religious  and  moral  sentiment  of  the 
whole  country.  They  recognized  the  right  and  held  to  the  practice  of 
polygamy,  or  a  plurality  of  wives.  They  spread  their  doctrines  by  means  of 
missionaries  over  ill  parts  of  the  world  and  converts  came  in  large  numbers 
to  Utah.  They  have  long  had  sufificient  population  to  form  a  State,  but  up 
to  this  writing — 1888 — have  been  kept  out  of  the  Union  on  account  of  their 
peculiar  institution  of  polygamy. 

ADMINISTRATION    OF   MILLARD   FILLMORE. 

TllK  compromise  measure  adopted,  as  we  have  seen,  was  the  first  move- 
ment of  importance  during  his  term  of  office.  The  cabinet  of  General  Taylor 
rcsignc  I  at  the  time  of  his  death,  but  the  incoming  President  retained  them  in 
office,  and  .'ealously  carried  out  the  policy  which  had  been  inaugurated  by  his 
predecessor. 


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OUR  NATION 


The  Fugitive  Slave  Law  was  supported  by  the  Executive  power,  and  oc. 
casioned  wide-spread  dissatisfaction  all  over  the  non-slave-holding  Stales. 
Before  this  time,  while  the  slaveowner  could  claim,  and  recapture  his  so- 
called  property  when  found,  he  could  not  demand  the  aid  of  northern  officials 
or  citizens  in  aiding  him  in  the  search;  but  this  law  authorized  him  to  employ 
the  representatives  of  the  general  government  in  the  search  and  delivery  of 
his  fugitive  slaves,  and  any  citizens  could  be  called  upon  to  assist  in  this,  when 
a  United  States  Marshal  demanded  it.  This  was  at  utter  variance  with  the 
spirit  of  free  institutions  in  the  North,  and  the  people  of  that  section,  and  a 
large  number  of  the  South,  were  in  favor  of  its  repeal.  This  led  to  a  fearful 
struggle  on  the  part  of  both  sides  to  carry  their  points,  and  the  Pnal  result 
was  most  disastrous  to  the  nation  for  a  time. 

In  the  spring  of  185 1  there  were  enacted  the  most  salutary  changes  'n 
the  Post  Ofifice  laws,  and  a  great  reduction  in  rates  of  postage.  The  electric 
telegraph  had  been  perfected,  and  thousands  of  miles  of  wire  were  binding; 
together  cities,  countries  and  States.  Thus  instantaneous  communication 
could  be  held  between  distant  points.  Fulton  and  Morse,  by  their  discoveries, 
had  annihilated  time  and  space,  and  bound  the  distant  States  into  a  more 
solid  union  than  had  ever  been  known  before. 

In  the  summer  of  1851,  there  was  increased  excitement  over  the  proposed 
invasion  of  Cuba  a  second  time  under  General  L'opez.  The  watchfulness  of 
the  government  was  awakened,  and  the  United  States'  marshals  were  ordered 
to  arrest  any  persons  suspected  of  violating  the  neutrality  laws.  The  steamer 
Cleopatra  was  detained  in  New  York  harbor,  and  several  respectable  citizens 
were  arrested  for  complicity  in  the  matter.  General  Lopez  made  his  escape 
from  the  authorities,  with  four  hundred  and  eighty  men,  and  landed  on  tlie 
northern  coast  of  Cuba,  August  nth.  He  left  Colonel  N.  L.  Crittenden,  of 
Kentucky,  with  one  hundred  men  at  that  point,  and  went  into  the  interior 
with  the  rest.  Crittenden  with  his  party  was  captured,  taken  to  Havana,  and 
shot  on  the  i6th.  Lopez  was  attacked  on  the  13th,  and  his  band  dispersed. 
He  hid  been  deceived  in  finding  any  of  the  natives  ready  to  aid  him.  There 
were  no  indications  of  any  uprising  and  he  was  a  fugitive.  He,  with  si.x  of 
his  men,  was  arrested  on  the  28th,  and  on  September  1st,  1 851,  they  were 
all  executed. 

In  the  Fall  of  185 1,  there  was  more  accession  of  territory  for  the  United 
States.  Many  millions  of  acres  of  land  were  purchased  of  the  Sioux  Indians 
and  they  were  removed  to  the  reservation  appointed  for  them.    The  territory 


THE  STORY  OF  ITS  PROGRESS  AND  GROWTH. 


463 


of  Minnesota  was  organized,  and  emigration  soon  filled  it  with  a  white  popula- 
tion. The  number  of  Representatives  and  Senators  in  Congress  had  increased 
so  much  since  the  war  of  1812,  that  it  now  became  necessary  to  enlarge  the 
Capitol  building  in  Washington,  and  the  corner-stone  was  laid  for  a  new  wing 
July  4th,  1 85 1,  by  the  President,  with  appropriate  ceremonies. 

The  expedition  of  Elisha  Kent  Kane,  M.  D.,  a  surgeon  in  the  United 
States  Navy,  started  for  the  Arctic  Ocean,  in  1853,  and  resulted  in  many 
scientific  discoveries  which  settled  the  fact  of  an  open  Polar  Sea,  but  the 
object  of  the  search,  to  find  Sir  John  Frankhn,  was  not  accomplished. 

The  visit  of  Louis  Kossuth,  an  Hungarian  patriot  to  this  country  during 
Mr.  Fillmore's  term  of  oflRce,  was  an  occasion  of  much  interest  in  awakening 
the  sympathies  of  the  people  for  his  oppressed  country,  but  the  government 
did  not  give  him  the  material  aid  he  sought. 

There  was  much  ill  feeling  engendered  between  the  United  States  and 
England,  growing  out  of  the  Newfoundland  fishery  question;  but  it  was  set- 
tli/d  in  October,  1853,  without  any  rupture. 

An  event  of  great  commercial  interest  occurred  in  the  same  year  in  the 
distant  East.  Commodore  Perry, — a  brother  of  the  hero  of  Lake  Erie, — 
made  a  treaty  with  the  Government  of  Japan,  in  which  it  was  agreed  that 
part  of  that  Empire  should  be  opened  to  American  commerce;  that  the 
steamers  from  California  to  China  should  be  furnished  with  coal,  and  that 
American  sailors  shipwrecked  on  the  coast  of  Japan  should  be  hospitably 
treated  by  the  natives. 

The  relations  between  the  United  States  and  Spain  became  involved  iit 
unpleasantness,  growing  out  of  the  Cuban  matters,  and  for  a  time  war  was. 
threatened.  There  was  a  feeling  in  Europe  that  the  United  States  wanted 
Cuba,  to  hold  command  of  the  entire  Gulf  of  Mexico.  England  and  France, 
asked  that  the  United  States  should  enter  into  a  treaty  with  them  which 
should  secure  Cuba  to  Spain,  and  disavow,  "  now  and  forever  hereafter,  all 
intention  to  obtain  possession  of  the  Island  of  Cuba."  Edward  Everett, 
Secretary  of  State,  answered  this  demand  in  a  logical,  and  unanswerable  argu- 
ment, which  was  praised  for  its  power  and  patriotism,  and  the  subject  wi.si 
dropped. 

The  most  important  event  at  the  close  of  President  Fillmore's  term  was 
the  organization  of  the  Territory  of  Washington,  from  the  northern  half  of 
Oregon.  This  became  a  law  on  March  2d,  1853,  two  days  before  the  newly 
elected  President,  General  Franklin  Pierce,  took  his  seat.     William  R.  King, 


ui  :  I 


464 


OUR  NATION 


of  Alabama,  had  been  elected  Vice  President,  but  failing  health  prevented 
him  from  entering  upon  the  ofiice. 


4i'm' 


I 


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ADMINISTRATION   OF   FRANKLIN    TIERCE. 

The  day  (mi  which  \ir.  Pierce  was  inaugurated,  March  4th,  1853,  theie 
was  a  bitter  storm  of  sleet  and  rain,  the  most  severe  ever  known  in  Washinn;. 
ton,  and  seemed  to  augur  a  tempestuous  administration.  So  it  proved  in  the 
scqu'l.  The  first  serious  difficulty  that  arose  was  in  regard  to  the  boundary 
I'  ict.veen  Mexico  and  the  United  States,  and  for  a  time  war  seemed  in- 
t  .  ibli .  The  Mexican  army  occupied  the  disputed  territory:  but  the  matter 
was  amicali'v  settled  by  peaceful  negotiation,  and  friendly  relations  between 
the  two  republics  have  existed  ever  since. 

In  the  early  part  of  this  administration  a  large  exploring  expedition  was 
sent  to  the  Pacific  coast  of  Asia,  which  was  of  great  importance  in  view  of 
the  establishment  of  numerous  steamship  lines  between  the  ports  of  Asia  and 
the  United  States.  The  question  of  connecting  the  Atlantic  and  the  Pacific 
coasts  with  railways,  was  agitated  in  connection  with  this  subject.  Four  ex- 
plorations were  sent  out  by  the  government  to  survey  as  many  routes :  one 
from  the  head  waters  of  the  Mississippi  to  Puget  Sound;  one  from  the  same 
river  to  the  Pacific  along  the  thirty-sixth  parallel  of  latitude;  one  by  way  of 
the  Great  Salt  Lake  to  San  Francisco, — which  line  was  completed  in  1869; 
the  fourth  from  the  lower  Mississippi  to  Southern  California.  The  explora- 
tions were  made,  and  a  vast  amount  of  scientific,  geographical  and  natural  in- 
formation was  gained. 

A  world's  fair  of  Industry  and  Mechanical  Arts  was  opened  in  New  "N'ork, 
in  the  spring  of  1853  and  modelled  after  a  similar  one  held  in  Hyde  Park, 
London,  England,  in  1851.  This  gave  great  encouragement  to  the  manufac- 
turers and  the  mechanical  arts  in  America,  and  showed  the  nations  of  Europe 
what  strides  the  young  republic  was  making  in  the  march  of  improvement. 

The  lull  which  precedes  a  fierce  storm  had  fallen  upon  the  country  at  the 
time  Congress  met,  in  December,  1853.  There  was  an  unprecedented  calm 
in  the  political  world,  and  the  quiet  of  a  settled  peace  rested  upon  the  coun- 
try, rippled  only  by  a  wave  of  trouble  with  Austria,  which  was  soon  smoothed. 

Important  treaties  with  Mexico  and  the  Central  American  States  were  in 
progress  of  settlement  in  regard  to  various  inter-oceanic  communications  by 
railway  or  water.     In  the  distant  Pacific  there  was  a  kingdom  whose  inhab- 


F  ■ 


'M 


THE  STORY  OF  ITS  PROGRESS  AND  GROWTH. 


465 


itants  had  become  civilized,  Christianized,  and  established  in  a  civil  govern- 
ment, with  a  wide  extent  of  commerce  in  a  single  generation,  namely,  the 
Sandwich  Islands.  The  king  and  his  people  desired  to  unite  with  the  Ameri- 
can States,  and  took  steps  to  bring  that  about.  France  and  England  at  once 
were  |ealous,  and  charged  the  whole  scheme  upon  the  Amer-  ai  missionaries. 
The  United  States  Minister  and  the  missionaries  denied  t..  n  they  had  influ- 
enced the  natives.  The  American  government  denied  the  right  of  foreign 
governments  to  interfere,  and  a  treaty  for  the  annexation  of  the  Sandwich 
Islands  was  in  preparation  when  King  Kamehameha  died,  and  his  successor 
discontinued  negotiations.  These  were  revived  in  1866,  by  Queen  Emma, 
when  she  returned  from  her  visit  to  England. 

The  slavery  question  which  had  been  so  quiet  for  a  few  years,  suddenly 
presented  itself  just  as  Congress  was  sitting  down  to  work  on  the  important 
matters  of  commerce  and  internal  .rn|  ovement.  Stephen  Douglass,  United 
States  Senator  from  Illinois,  int*"oduc^.'  a  bill  which  aroused  the  people  to 
tlw;  most  intense  excitement,  and  broke  in  upon  the  harmony  of  Congress. 
Near  the  centre  of  our  continen*  there  was  a  vast  domain  embracing  one- 
fourth  of  ail  the  public  land  of  the  country.  It  extended  from  the  thirty- 
seventh  parallel  of  north  latit  e  to  the  British  possessions,  and  was  the  most 
fertile  and  best  watered  portion  of  America.  The  bill  of  Mr.  Douglass  pro- 
vided that  this  domain  should  be  organized  into  two  territories — Kansas  and 
Nebraska — and  contained  a  provision  to  repeal  the  Compromise  of  1820,  and 
allow  the  people  to  decide  whether  or  not  slavery  should  be  permitted.  The 
thunder  storm  broke  over  the  country  in  renewed  fury,  and  violent  discussion 
arose  in  the  North  and  South.  The  bill  was  discussed  in  the  Senate  from 
January  30th  to  March  3d,  1854,  and  thousands  of  remonstrances  poured  in 
from  all  parts  of  the  North,  but  it  passed  the  Senate  by  the  decided  vote  of 
thirty-seven  to  fourteen.  In  the  House  of  Representatives  it  was  shorn  of 
its  worst  features  by  amendments,  and  the  final  defeat  seemed  almost  certain. 
A  bill  for  the  construction  of  a  railroad  to  the  Pacific  was  reported  to  the 
Senate.  A  Homestead  Act,  giving  one  hundred  and  si.xty  acres  of  land  from 
the  public  domain  to  any  white  male  citizen  who  would  occupy  and  improve 
the  same  for  five  years,  was  introduced  in  the  House  of  Representatives.  An 
amendment  graduating  the  price  of  land  was  passed  in  its  stead.  Another 
victory  for  slavery.  But  the  excitement  quieted  down  till  the  9th  of  May, 
when  the  Nebraska  bill  was  called  up  again.  At  once  the  public  pulse  ran 
up  to  fever  heat.     The  debate  was  fierce  and  intense;   the  suspense  of  the 


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466 


OUR  NATION 


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people  was  fearful,  but  on  the  22cl  of  May  the  bill  as  amended  passed  the 
House,  was  rushed  through  the  Senate,  and  s"gned  by  the  President  the  last 
of  May.  Every  barrier  to  the  lawful  spread  of  slavery  over  the  public  domain 
Avas  now  removed ;  but  the  end  was  not  yet. 

Another  chapter  in  the  controversy  concerning  Slavery  opens  at  once, 
Spain  had  a  cause  of  grievance  with  the  United  States  in  regard  to  Cuba. 
The  American  steamship  B/tuJl:  M'arrior  was  seized  in  tlie  port  of  H.ivaiia 
by  the  Cuban  authorities.  The  Spanish  government  justified  the  act  when 
the  American  Minister  at  Madrid  asked  lor  redress.  Hut  the  Cubans  became 
alarmed  and  offered  to  give  up  the  ship  by  the  owners  paying  a  fine  of  six 
thousand  dollars.  The  owners  complied  under  protest.  The  matter  was 
amicably  adjusted  between  Spain  and  the  United  States.  The  slave  power 
used  the  irritation  caused  by  this  incident  as  a  pretext  for  a  gigantic  scheme 
of  propagating  slavery. 

In  1854  President  Pierce  appointed  James  lUichanan,  then  ambassador  at 
London,  James  M.  Mason,  ambassador  at  Paris,  and  Mr.  Soule,  ambassador 
at  Madrid,  as  a  commission  to  confer  about  the  difficulties  in  Cuba,  ami  to 
get  possession  of  that  island  by  purchase  or  otherwise.  The  famous  Ostend 
Circular  was  issued  by  them,  on  the  1 8th  of  August,  1854,  in  which  they  said, 
*'  If  Spain,  actuated  by  pride  and  stubborn  sense  of  honor,  should  refuse  to 
sell  Cuba  to  the  United  States,"  then,  "  by  every  law,  human  and  tlivine,  we 
shall  be  justified  in  wresting  it  from  Spain,  if  we  possess  the  power."  This  is 
the  argument  of  the  highway  robber,  and  why  it  should  not  have  been  rebuked 
at  Washington  can  only  be  understood  in  the  light  of  future  events.  In  the 
light  of  these  events,  we  learn  that  the  stupendous  design  embraced  the  plot 
of  "the  Golden  Circle,"  which  was  to  establish  an  empire  with  Havana  as  its 
centre,  embracing  an  area  of  sixteen  degrees  of  latitude  and  longitude,  to 
take  in  the  slave  States,  the  West  Indies,  and  a  great  part  of  Mexico  and 
the  Central  American  States. 

We  find  a  little  relief  in  turning  from  this  subject  for  a  moment  to  others. 

The  boundary  line  between  Mexico  and  the  United  States  was  established 
upon  satisfactory  terms,  as  we  have  already  stated.  The  United  Stales  was 
to  pay  ten  millions  of  dollars,  and  be  released  from  all  obligation  imposed  in 
the  former  treaty  of  1848— seven  millions  on  the  ratification  of  the  treaty  ami 
three  millions  when  the  line  should  be  established.  These  conditions  were 
faithfully  carried  out. 

An  important  reciprocity  treaty  was  made  with  Great  Britain,  which  was 


lili: 


THE  STORY  OF  ITS  IMUKiRMSS  AND  GROWTH. 


4r,7 


of  great  advantage  to  both  parties,  and  removed  to  a*  considerable  extent  tlic 
restrictions  on  free  trade  between  the  United  States  and  Canada.  The  two 
governments  agreed  to  the  introduction  of  many  articles,  such  as  breadstuffs, 
coal,  fish,  and  lumber,  from  one  to  the  other,  free  of  duty.  England  gave 
the  United  States  the  free  use  of  the  St.  Lawrence,  and  the  canals  of  the 
])rovinces,  and  in  return  enjoyed  the  right  of  fishing,  as  far  as  the  thirty-sixth 
degree  of  north  latitude,  and  other  privileges.  This  treaty  continued  until 
1866. 

The  attempt  on  the  island  of  Cuba  had  failed ;  but  there  was  started  at 
once  an  expedition  to  Central  America  to  get  possession  of  a  portion  of  the 
Golden  Circle.  This  was  organized  by  a  warm  personal  friend  of  Jefferson 
Davis,  Secretary  of  War,  under  the  administration  of  Mr.  Pierce.  His  name 
was  William  Walker.  He  invaded  the  State  of  Nicaragua,  on  what  is  known 
as  the  Mosquito  Coast,  under  the  pretext  that  the  British  were  attempting  to 
take  this  coast,  in  violation  of  the  pr  ;  ciple  of  the  "  Monroe  doctrine."  Many 
persons  had  emigratetl  hither  from  the  Southwestern  States.  The'  guns  of 
the  United  States  Navy  had  already  awakened  the  echoes  of  the  tropical 
forests.  The  Mosquito  King  had  sold  a  large  tract  of  land  to  two  British 
siilijects,  and  emigrants,  led  by  Colonel  H.  L.  Kinney,  had  settled  there.  The 
attention  of  our  Minister  to  the  State  of  Nicaragua  hail  been  called  to  this 
matter,  and  our  government  could  not  wholly  ignore  the  subject,  but  dealt 
with  it  so  mildly  as  to  leave  the  inference  that  the  emigrants  would  not  be 
molested  by  the  United  States.  Captain  William  Walker  went  to  the  aid  of 
Colonel  Kinney,  and  with  his  band  attempted  to  capture  the  city  of  Rivas, 
hut  his  attack  was  repulsed,  and  he  escaped  to  the  coast. 

Walker  returned,  with  armed  followers,  in  August,  1855,  and  in  Septem- 
ber the  emigrants  assumed  the  independence  of  Nicaragua.  Walker,  after 
gaining  some  victories,  placed  General  Rivas  in  the  Presidential  chair  of  the 
indepenilent  "State  of  Mosquito,"  and  drove  Colonel  Kinney  away,  lie 
strengthened  his  military  power,  and  was  recognized  by  a  British  consul, 
The  other  States  of  Central  America  became  frightened  at  this  display  of 
audacity,  and  combined  to  drive  Walker  out  of  his  position.  Costa  Rica 
formally  declared  war  against  this  new  power.  Walker  raised  a  strong  band, 
aiul  shamelessly  proclaimed  that  he  was  there  by  invitation  of  the  liberal  party 
of  Nicaragua.  The  army  of  Costa  Rica  came  to  attack  him,  and  he  overcame 
them.  Walker  then  became  arrogant,  forceil  a  loan  from  the  people,  and 
after  Rivas  had  abdicated  the  presidency,  \\  alker  was  elected  President,  by 


JIM 


468 


OUR  NATION: 


L-'It. 


two-thirds  of  the  popular  votes.  lie  was  inaupjuratcd  June  24tli,  and  our 
government  hastened  to  recoj;nize  the  new  nation.  It  was  the  opening;  than. 
ter  in  the  [jrand  plot.  He  held  his  position  for  two  years,  and  finally  was 
oblij^'eil  to  surrender  his  army  of  two  hundreil  men,  and  flee  to  New  Orleans. 
He  attempted  to  raise  another  e.xpedition,  ami  on  the  25th  of  November 
landed  at  I'untas  Arenas,  where  he  was  captured  by  Commodore  Pauldinj^,  of 
the  United  States  Navy,  and  with  two  huiulred  and  thirty-two  men  was  taken 
to  New  York.  President  Huchanan  privately  commended  Commodore  Paul- 
ing for  the  act,  but  for  "  prudential  reasons  "publicly  censured  him  in  a  special 
message  to  Congress,  January  7th,  1858.  Walker  was  discharged,  ami 
preached  a  new  crusade  against  Nicaragua  all  through  the  Southern  States, 
collecting  money  to  aid  him  in  a  new  invasion.  He  sailed  from  New  Orleans, 
on  a  third  expedition,  but  was  arrested,  and  tried  before  the  United  .States 
Court,  for  "  leaving  port  without  a  clearance,"  but  was  accjuitted.  Then  lie 
went  to  Central  America,  recommenced  hostilities,  was  taken,  and  shot  at 
Truxillo  by  the  natives.  Thus  ended  another  act  in  the  civil  strife  which  was 
raging. 

In  1855,  there  was  serious  trouble  with  the  Indians  m  Oregon  and  Wash- 
ington Territories,  and  the  United  States  Army  was  sent  to  quell  it.  The 
barbarians  overcame  them,  and  a  massacre  of  white  families  followed.  In  the 
season  of  1855--6,  it  seemed  that  the  combination  of  Indians  was  so  strong; 
that  the  settlers  would  have  to  abandon  the  territories  named,  but  General 
Wool  was  sent  to  Oregon  to  organize  a  force  against  the  savages,  anil  the 
trouble  was  settletl  the  following  Summer. 

A  slight  trouble  arose  between  Great  Britain  and  our  government,  grow- 
ing out  of  the  enlistment  of  men  in  the  United  States  for  the  Crimean  war. 
This  was  done  under  the  sanction  of  several  British  consuls  in  this  country. 
After  some  dijilomatic  correspondence  the  offeniling  consuls  were  dismisseil; 
also  the  British  minister  was  sent  home  and  his  place  was  filled  by  another. 
The  British  Parliament  disavowed  any  complicity  in  the  matter. 

The  remaining  events  in  the  administration  of  Franklin  Pierce  were  full 
of  incidents  having  Immediate  reference  to  the  great  struggle  going  oivin  the 
country  between  the  advocates  of  the  spread  of  slavery  and  the  advocates  nf 
free  soil.  The  contest  was  most  intense  and  bitter  in  Congress,  and  in  the 
political  canvass.  Silently  there  were  unseen  and  comjilicated  moral  forces 
at  work,  but  none  the  less  potent  because  unseen.  A  great  party  sprung  into 
existence  in  the   North,  and  found  many  adherents  in  the  South.     John  C. 


'IIIM  STURV  OF  ITS  I'KUCiRICSS  AND  GROWTH. 


4^»y 


Fremont  of  Califoriiiii,  ami  Willian  L.  Dayton,  wi-rc  the  candidatt.-s  of  this* 
p.irty  for  I'rcsiik-nt  and  Vice  President.  Tliis  was  tlie  Repulilicm  party. 
Aiiotlier  or^'anl/ation  tliroii^lunit  the  countr)-  known  as  the  An  erican  or 
Know-Nothing'  party,  who  were  opposeil  to  tlie  forei^'n  element  in  the  national 
politics,  nominated  Ex-Tresident  l-'illmore  and  A.  J.  Donelson  of  Tennessee, 
f(ir  the  same  offices.  The  Democratic  party  put  James  liuchanan  and  Joim 
C.  Hreckenrid^'c,  in  nomination  for  the  same.  The  pohtical  canvass  nf  1856 
was  the  most  exciting  and  anta<;<inistic  that  the  country  liad  ever  seen.  The 
|)ress,  the  pulpit  and  tlie  rostrum  ra.n^f  with  the  utterances  of  men  who  were 
alive  to  the  questions  of  the  hour.  In  every  hamlet  anil  villa^'e  of  the  North, 
and  most  of  the  South,  the  party  lines  were  distinctly  drawn,  and  families 
aiul  neiyhborhooils  were  stirretl  with  the  agitation  of  the  all-absorbinj^  subject. 
The  day  of  the  election  came  and  the  whole  country  waited  in  breathless 
anxiety  for  the  returns.  The  election  of  James  Huchanan  for  President,  and 
John  C.  Breckenrid^e  for  Vice  Presiilent,  was  the  result. 


tup:  strucclp:  in  kansas. 

ADMIMSl  KAI'ION    oK   JAMIS    lUHllANAN. 

Tiif,  virtual  repeal  of  the  Missouri  Compromise  of  1820  led  to  a  renewal 
of  tlie  contest  between  the  two  contending  forces,  and  Kansas  became  the 
battle-ground  of  the  decideil  champions  on  the  two  sides.  The  people  from 
the  North  bej^an  to  pour  into  the  new  territory  anil  it  became  apparent  that 
they  would  larj^ely  outnumber  the  settlers  from  the  slave  States.  People  of 
tlie  South  were  the  first  in  the  field  and  took  possession  of  land  in  all  parts. 
Missouri  was  near  at  hand  anil  Kansas  was  easy  of  access,  but  the  Southern 
people  were  not  an  emi^ratin^  class  and  their  numbers  came  slowly.  There 
were  people  enough  to  form  a  State,  in  time,  but  the  Northern  settlers  could 
outvote  the  Southern.  The  time  for  election  was  coming  and  some  decisive 
strps  must  be  taken.  Lar_ij;e  bodies  of  Missourians  went  in  1854,  and  when  a 
(Kle^.ite  was  chosen  from  the  Territorj-,  out  of  nearly  twenty-nine  hundred 
votes  cast  over  seventeen  hundred  were  b\-  Missourians  who  had  no  lethal  ri^ht 
to  vote  there.  These  men  from  "  o\er  tiie  border"  were  in  tents  and  had 
artillery  with  them  as  if  arrayed  for  battle.  A  legislature  was  illesj;ally  chosen 
to  meet  at  Pawnee  City,  nearly  one  hundred  miles  from  the  Missouri  line. 
This  body  immediately  adjourned  to  meet  on  the  very  borders  of  that  State, 
and  proceeded  to  enact  laws  in  favor  of  slavery.      .  hey  were  vetoed  by  the 


i:  I   f 


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^^m-^' 


5  '1 


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pII  I'' 

mm  '^ 


470 


OUR  NATION: 


governor  and  passed  over  his  veto.     The  actual  settlers  of  the  territory  ap- 
pointed  a  convention  to  meet  at  Topeka,  October  19th. 

Governor  Reeder  was  nominated  for  Delegate  to  Congress,  and  was  at 
once  elected  by  the  legal  voters.  On  the  23d  of  the  same  month  a  conven- 
tioi.  chbsen  by  the  actual  citizens  of  Kansas  adopted  a  Constitution  providincj 
that  it  should  be  a  free  State  and  asked  admission  to  the  Union  under  this 
instrument.  Governor  Reeder  and  the  pro-slavery  delegate  appeared  at 
Washington  as  contestants  for  seats.  In  the  meanwhile  (January  17th,  1855), 
an  election  was  held  and  the  State  oflficers  were  chosen  by  the  legal  voters  of 
the  Territory.  President  Pierce  (January  24th)  sent  a  special  message  to 
Congress  representing  the  action  of  the  people  in  Kansas  in  forming  a  State 
government  as  a  rebellion. 

Then  there  came  a  reign  of  terror  for  Kansas  in  which  violence,  blood- 
shed and  fraud  were  rampant.  The  actual  settlers  resisted  the  efforts  of  their 
pro-slavery  neighbors  in  forcing  upon  them  a  condition  of  things  obnoxious 
to  their  sense  of  right  and  justice.  The  struggle  seemed  to  be  like  the  death 
grapple  of  giants.  Finally  a  committee  of  investigation  was  sent  from  Con- 
gress, and  a  majority  of  them  agreed  in  their  report  to  sustain  the  acts  of  the 
legal  voters  and  refuse  the  frauds  by  which  Whitfield,  the  pro-slavery  delegate, 
had  been  elected  and  the  pro-slavery  constitution  passed.  The  member  uf 
the  Committee  from  Missouri  alone  dissented  from  the  report,  and  the  mis- 
sion failed  to  accomplish  any  result  either  way.  Then  came  the  election  of 
Buchanan  as  fifteenth  President  of  the  United  States. 

There  had  been  an  important  case  pending  in  tlie  United  States  Supreme 
Court  in  which  a  decision  had  been  reached  before  the  election,  but  it  was 
withheld  from  the  public  until  the  result  of  the  popular  vote  should  be  known. 
It  was  the  famous  Dred  Scott  decision.  Scott  was  a  slave  of  a  United  States 
oflficer  who  had  taken  him  into  a  free  State,  and  while  there  he  had  married 
the  slave  girl  of  another  officer,  both  masters  giving  their  consent.  Two  chil- 
<lren  had  been  born  of  this  marriage  on  free  soil.  The  master  of  Scott  bouyht 
the  wife  of  his  slave,  and  took  the  parents  and  their  children  to  Missouri  and 
held  them  all.  Scott  claimed  his  freedom  on  the  ground  of  his  involuntary 
service  in  a  free  State  and  the  District  Court  had  given  him  the  case.  It 
v.ent  to  the  United  States  Supreme  Court  of  the  Stale,  which  reversed  the 
decision.  Then  it  came  before  the  Supreme  Court  upon  the  question  of 
jurisdiction  solely.  The  Chief  Justice  of  that  court  decided  against  Scott, 
and  announced  that   no  person   "  whose  ancestors  were  imported   into  this 


■*)!, 


THE  STORY  OF  ITS  PROGRESS  AND  GROWTH. 


471 


country  and  sold  as  slaves"  had  any  right  to  sue  in  the  courts  of  the  United 
States.  The  majority  of  the  Court  agreed  with  him.  After  the  election  was 
decided  they  published  their  decision,  ai^d  went  beyond  the  question  at  issue 
to  say  that  our  Revolutionary  fathers  "  for  more  than  a  century  before  "  re- 
garded the  African  race  in  America  as  "  so  far  inferior,  that  they  had  no  rigJits 
ivliich  the  ivhitc  man  zvas  bound  to  respect,'"  and  they  tverc  never  thought  or 
spoken  of  except  as  property.  President  Buchanan  in  his  inaugural  address  two 
days  before  this  strange  decision  had  been  promulgated,  referred  to  a  mys- 
terious something  which  would  settle  the  slavery  question  "  speedily  and 
finally,"  and  e'^pressod  the  hope  that  thus  the  long  agitation  of  this  disturbing 
question  was  approaching  its  end  !  But  the  end  zcas  not  yet.  Kansas  was  still 
a  battle-ground  and  the  contending  parties  had  not  given  up  the  struggle. 
Peace  was  for  a  while  restored,  but  the  two  forces  were  energetic  and  active. 
The  question  of  a  free  or  a  slave  State  was  not  yet  decided. 

The  pro-slavery  party  had  met  in  convention  and  framed  a  constitution 
favorable  to  their  side,  at  Lecompton,  in  September,  1857.  It  was  submitted 
to  the  people  in  this  way :  They  could  vote  "  For  the  Constitution  with 
slavery"  or  "For  the  Constitution  without  slavery;"  in  any  case  they  must 
vote  for  this  Constitution,  which  was  "  all  one  way,"  and  that  protected 
slavery  until  1864.  Of  course  the  free-soil  men  would  not  vote  at  all,  and  the 
pro-slavery  Constitution  was  adopted  by  a  large  majority.  An  election  for 
the  territorial  legislature  was  held  under  assurance  from  Governor  Walker 
that  the  people  should  not  be  molested,  and  although  there  were  many  frauds, 
the  anti-slavery  party  had  a  large  majority.  The  legislature  ordered  that  the 
Lecompton  Constitution  should  be  sent  to  the  people  to  vote  "  for "  or 
"  against  "  the  measure  as  a  whole.  It  was  rejected  by  over  ten  thousand 
majority.  But  in  spite  of  this  the  President  sent  the  Lecompton  Constitution 
to  the  Senate  (February  2d,  1858),  by  whom  it  was  at  once  passed.  The 
House  of  Representatives  amended  the  bill  by  referring  it  again  to  the  people 
of  Kansas  for  acceptance  or  rejection.  It  was  again  rejected  by  over  ten 
tiiousand  majority,  and  finally  Kansas  was  received  into  the  Union  as  a  free 
State.  In  the  year  1862  the  opinion  of  the  Supreme  Court  was  practically 
rejected  as  untenable,  by  the  Secretary  of  State  granting  a  black  citizen  a 
passport  to  travel  in  foreign  countries.  Such  were  some  of  the  skirmishes 
which  preceded  the  war  of  1861—65. 

The  "  Southern  Commercial  Convention,"  convened  at  Vicksburg,  x'oted 
on  the  iith  of  May,  1859,  ^'"-'^t  "all  laws.   State   or  Federal,  prohibiting  the 


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472 


OUR  NATION: 


slave  trade,  ought  to  be  abolished,"  and  a  scheme  was  soon  started  to  promote 
the  African  slave  trade,  under  the  specious  disguise  of  an  "African  labor- 
supply  Association."  The  withdrawal  of  American  cruisers  from  the  coast 
of  Africa,  was  discussed  in  the  United  States  Senate  by  Mr.  Slidell,  of 
Louisiana;,  and  Mr.  Buchanan  protested  against  the  right  of  British  mcii-of. 
war  to  search  suspected  slave-traders  who  flew  the  United  States  flag.  Shin. 
loads  of  slaves  were  landed  in  southern  ports  directly  from  Africa.  The 
northern  States  had,  in  many  instances,  passed  personal-liberty  laws,  restrict- 
ing the  Fugitive  Slave  law  so  far  as  they  could  do  without  a  violation  of  the 
national  law.  This  exasperated  the  other  party.  A  National  Emancipation 
Society  was  formed  in  Cleveland,  Ohio,  which  aimed  at  the  gradual  e.xtinctiun 
of  the  institution  of  slavery. 

The  attention  of  the  country  was  turned  to  the  disturbing  Mormon  qius- 
tion.  These  people  in  Utah  were  rising  in  a  revolution  because  they  cimKl 
not  gain  admission  as  a  State.  They  destroyed  the  records  of  the  United 
States  District  Court,  and  by  orders  of  Brigham  Young,  their  governor  and 
spiritual  guide,  they  were  to  look  to  him  for  all  law.  Colonel  Cummings,  the 
actual  governor  of  the  Territory,  was  sent  with  an  army  to  enforce  the  United 
.States  law.  The  Mormons  destroyed  a  provision  train,  committed  sumhy 
depredations,  but  finally  Young  surrendered  the  seal  of  the  territory,  and 
threatened  to  gather  his  people  and  leave  the  country  rather  than  submit  to 
Gentile  rule.  But  he  thought  better  of  it,  and  in  a  sh-^rt  time  Utah  made 
another  unsuccessful  attempt  to  enter  the  Union. 

This  little  episode  made  scarcely  any  impression  upon  the  great  excite- 
ment that  was  agitating  the  country.  The  "  Mormon  War  "  had  entled  in 
smoke.  The  .South  American  tr.>.ibles  were  settled.  Walker's  operations  in 
Nicaragua  had  ceased  to  interest  the  public  mind,  and  Congress  wa>  engaged 
upon  the  llomeste.ui  Act,  the  Pacific  Railroad  bills.  Soldiers'  Pensions  for 
the  war  of  l8l2,  and  other  peaceful  .iiul  unexciting  measures,  when  suchlenly 
the  smouldering  flame  of  excitement  hrok''  out  afresh,  and  startled  the  whole 
country.  J'ohn  Brown,  an  honest  enthusiast,  with  a  handful  of  folkiwers  as- 
senibletl  at  Harper's  l*"err\-,  Virginia,  and  with  a  written  l'ro\'isional  Constitu- 
tion and  Ordinance  for  the  People  of  the  United  States,  he  was  rea(l\-  to 
make  opposition  to  the  government  as  far  as  slavery  was  concerned.  His 
little  band  consisted  of  seventeen  white  me'^  and  five  blacks.  The  whole  land 
was  informed  by  lelegr.  Ikmii  Baltimore,  that  "  an  armed  band  of  Aboh- 
tionists  have  full  possession  of  the  Government  Arsenal,  at   Harper's  J'err). ' 


m: 


THE  STORY  OF  ITS  PROGRESS  AND  GROWTH. 


473 


operations  in 


All  the  border  States  were  thrown  in  a  ferment  of  anxiety;  their  homes,  their 
sacred  altars,  and  their  institutions  were  in  danger.  Governor  Wise,  of  Vir- 
ginia, summoned  the  State  Militia,  and  General  Robert  E.  Lee,  with  United 
States  troops  and  cannon,  was  hastened  to  the  spot  to  suppress  the  insurrec- 
tion. Two  of  Brown's  sons  were  slain,  and  he  was  arrested.  He  was  tried 
for  exciting  the  slaves  to  insurrection,  for  treason  and  murder,  found  guilty, 
and  hung  on  the  2d  day  of  December,  1859.  This  was  the  raid  of  John 
Hiown.  The  excitement  and  terror  of  Governor  Wise,  of  Virginia,  was  very 
great.  The  most  exaggerated  rumors  concerning  the  affair  spread  over  the 
whole  country,  and  Governor  Wise  prepared  to  repel  the  invasion  which  he 
was  sure  was  being  organized  in  the  Northern  States  to  sweep  over  Virginia. 
A  thorough  investigation  developed  the  fact  that  Brown  had  less  than  twenty 
persons  associated  with  him  in  his  undertaking,  and  had  no  open  sympathizers 
in  the  whole  land. 

The  indications  of  the  election  of  1858  and  1859  pointed  to  a  loss  of  su- 
premacy of  the  party  which  had  held  the  national  government  so  long,  and 
something  must  be  done  to  protect  their  own  interests.  The  designing  poli- 
ticians had  a  gigantic  plot  in  view,  and  while  the  great  mass  of  the  people  in 
the  South  were  a  law-abiding  people,  who  would  abide  by  the  Constitution 
and  the  laws  of  their  country  if  left  to  their  own  judgment,  these  men,  com- 
paratively few  in  number,  deliberately  sot  about  the  scheme  of  severing  the 
Union,  and  establishing  a  Confederacy  of  Slave  States  in  the  South.  The 
time  had  come  for  their  action,  for  the  new  party  were  growing  strong.  If 
tlu  y  tlid  not  strike  at  tlie  close  of  Mr.  Buchanan's  administration,  although 
they  might  succeed  in  electing  a  President  in  symi)athy  with  them,  their  power 
in  Congress  would  be  much  weakened.  Now  if  they  could  give  the  people 
of  the  South  another  cause  for  tiieir  action,  and  succeed  in  "  firing  the  Southern 
iicart  "  to  the  sense  of  wrong,  they  would  gain  a  material  advantage  when  the 
blow  should  be  struck.  It  would  not  ilo,  then,  to  ha\'e  their  candidate  of  the 
Democratic  party  elected,  .md  the  first  point  was  to  assure  the  election  of  a 
Northern  man  to  the  office  of  President,  1)>-  the  \'ote  of  Northern  States. 
I  low  could  this  be  done?  The  answer  was  easy  enough.  Divide  the  grand 
dill  Democratic  Party  into  two  factions.  Then  with  the  plea  that  the  Repub- 
lican party  was  a  sectional  one,  and  would  oppress  the  South,  inflame  the 
people  of  the  slave-owning  States  with  the  idea  that  their  State  institutions 
were  in  danger,  and  arouse  them  to  patriotism  and  an  active  defense  of  their 
respective  States. 


-;■/:  '' 


474 


OUR  I\ATTO\: 


U/' 


u.  .< 


A/f 


,.' 


Now  the  people  of  the  South  were  braw.  her  nen  were  conscientious 
and  her  so-called  upper  classes  were  th -  peers  of  r.ny  community  in  intelli. 
gence.  The  doctrines  of  Jefferson  had  been  the  theme  of  her  orators  for  two 
generations,  and  the  theory  of  State  Sovereignty  had  taken  root  in  a  rich  and 
productive  soil,  where  it  had  grown  to  a  stalwart  tree.  The  training  of  years 
had  taught  the  great  mass  of  her  people  to  believe  that  Slavery  was  right,  or 
if  not  morally  right,  was  a  necessary  evil  in  the  very  condition  of  things.  The 
North  had  agitated,  discussed,  and  stirred  up  strifi'  when  the  whole  land  had 
been  prosperous  and  at  peace,  and  had  caused  contention  and  unreasonable 
commotion  in  their  internal  affairs.  What  though  the  North  disavowed  any 
intention  of  interfering  with  Slavery  in  the  States  where  it  then  existed,  the 
very  agitation  of  the  subject  on  their  borders  made  them  restless  and  stinod 
up  their  slaves.  The  conspiracy  of  a  few  score  men  cculd  magnify  all  this 
into  a  grievous  wrong,  and  stir  the  warm  blood  of  the  South  to  the  intensest 
heat,  and  unite  the  people  in  a  common  cause,  as  dear  to  them  as  that  which 
moved  the  heart.-,  of  their  Revolutionary  sires. 

For  months  there  had  been  indication.^  tii.it  the  Democratic  convention 
which  was  to  meet  in  the  cit}-  of  Charlesic  ia,  South  Carolina,  would  bo  ,i 
stormy  one,  and  there  were  mutterings  nf  the  coming  tempest,  that  shoultl 
shake  the  country  to  its  centre.  The  gathering  of  the  six  hundred  delegates, 
from  all  the  States  in  the  Union,  began  on  the  23(1  of  April,  i.S<xd;  and  from 
the  hour  of  the  opening  of  the  ConvcntioPi  ihcre  was  the  strong  pre.ssurc  of 
the  conspiracy  felt.  Caleb  Cushing  was  chairman,  and  Stephen  A.  Douglass, 
of  Illinois,  was  the  .^^rongest  candidate  who.se  name  had  been  proposed  before 
the  convention.  !■  i  ad  won  the  title  of  "Little  Giant  of  the  West."  Ills 
idea  of  popular  so  i  -.gnty  had  teen  engrafted  into  the  platform  of  the  p.irly 
at  Cincinnati  four  years  before.  The  Opposition  were  in  favor  of  a  speedy 
adoption  of  the  institution  of  SIa\er)'  as  a  national  institution,  but  the  friends 
of  Douglass  were  not  ready  for  Lhis.  The  Convention,  by  a  handsome  ma- 
jority, re-afflrineil  the  doctrine  of  popular  sovereignty,  and  at  once  the  plot 
was  sprung.  The  leader  of  the  delegation  from  Alabama  announced  that  lu\ 
and  his  colleagues,  would  formally  withdraw  from  the  Convention.  Other 
delegates  followed,  and  a  new  Convention  was  formed  in  another  Hall. 

The  dismemberment  of  the  Democratic  Party  was  now  complete,  and 
the  plot  was  subsequently  unmasked  by  Mr.  Glenn,  of  Mississippi,  who  said 
in  the  new  convention,  "  I  tell  Southern  men  here,  and  for  them  I  tell  tiie 
Norih,  that  in  less  than  »)*»/  days,  you  will  find  a  united  South,  standing  side 


4^ 

■UUts; 


THE  STORY  OF  ITS  PROGRESS  AND  GROW't'H. 


47  S 


by  side  with  us."  Charleston  was  th..  scene  of  j^rcat  ''.eh*i.ht  that  i:  tj'  .,  for 
South  Carolina  understood  what  that  utterance  signified.  The  i>,sii;.'  o^  this 
secession  was  that  John  C.  Breckenridge  was  nominated  for  P-.--!  iepi  by  tlie 
seceding  Democratic  Party,  and  Stephen  A.  Douglass  was  '  ii(  caatii 'ate  of 
the  Regular  Democratic  Party.  The  Republicans  afleru.  ;;  nominated 
Abraham  Lincoln,  of  Illinois,  for  President,  and  Hannibal  Hh' ;iir:,  of  Maine, 
for  Vice  President.  A  fourth  party.  The  Constitutional  American  Party, 
wh'ch  adopted  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States  for  its  platform,  nomi- 
nated John  Bell,  of  Tennessee,  for  the  Presidency  and  Edward  Everett,  of 
Massachusetts,  for  the  Vice  Presidency. 

The  political  contest  was  fought  with  vigor  such  as  had  seldom  been 
known  before.  The  Republican  and  the  pro-slavery  wing  of  the  Democratic 
party  were  antagonistically  opposed,  and  William  H.  Seward  had  said  there 
is  "an  irrepressible  conflict  between  Freedom  and  Slavery;"  "The  Republic 
cannot  exist  half  slave  and  half  free,"  and  "  Freedom  is  the  normal  condition 
in  iill  the  Territories."  This  was  the  Republican  side  of  the  question.  Mr. 
Breckenridge  claimed  that  no  power  existed  that  might  lawfully  control  slavery 
in  the  Territories,  and  it  existed  in  full  force  wherever  a  slave-holder,  and  his 
slaves,  entered  it ;  therefore  it  was  the  duty  of  the  National  Government  to 
protect  it  there.  The  issue  was  plain  and  decided;  no  one  need  misunder- 
stand it.  Abraham  Lincoln  was  elected  by  a  majority  of  the  rotes  in  the 
electoral  college;  but  since  there  were  four  candidates  In  th  '  field  he  had  a 
large  MINdRlTV  of  the  popular  vote.  This  was  a  nart  of  the  plot,  to  cl.iim 
that  he  was  a  sectional  President,  and  received  onl)  u  minority  of  the  \  otes  of 
tlie  people.  Tliere  would  be  four  months  in  which  ^.^  .nature  and  carry  out 
the  pl.ms  already  working  so  well. 

Two  )ears  before  this,  William  L.  Yancey  had  '  ritten  to  a  friend:  "  Or- 
<;anize  committees  all  over  the  Cotton  States;  fire  Uie  S(>uthern  heart:  in- 
struct the  Southern  mind;  give  ourage  to  each  ('her.  antl  at  the  proper 
moment,  by  one  organized,  concerted  action,  precipitate  the  Cotton  States 
into  revolution."  Mr.  Yancey  had  been  an  active  public  speaker  in  the  South 
tluring  the  canvass  of  i860,  and  when  the  result  was  known,  the  leaders  in  the 
South  were  as  much  elated  over  the  election  of  Lincoln  as  any  one  in  the 
Republican  party.  Now  tlie  pretext  that  che  platform  and  the  policy  of  the 
Republican  party,  and  the  utterances  of  the  President  elect,  \'ith  the  fact  that 
he  was  a  sectional  candidate,  elected  by  Northern  votes,  and  the se  a  minority 
of  all  the  votes  cast,  led  the  people  of  the  South  to  fear  that  he  would  be  a 


■It  II I    '    ■ 


i  li 


f-    ! 


Si    > 


J 


!    I'M'        ■  ,1 


V:l 


3jl 

Hir''*'< 

^M 

ijp 

ir 

I'.:'. 

"4; 


■;,vv 


i;l 


476 


OUR  NATION 


usurper  of  their  rights,  and  they  listened  until  their  righteous  indignation  was 
stirred,  and  they  were  easily  led  to  niak'e  one  bold  and  united  stand  for  their 
inalienable  rights.     In  the  third  year  of  the  war,  a  Southern  gentleman  wrote 
in  a  letter  to  a  friend,  "  Perhaps  there  never  was  a  people  more  bewitched 
.beguiled  and  befooled,  than  we  were  when  we  went  iiito  this  rebellion." 

In  President  Buchanan's  Cabinet,  there  were  three,  if  not  four  men,  in 
active  sympathy  with  the  movement,  and  they  were  anxious  to  wait  until  the 
end  of  the  term  before  the  blow  should  be  struck.  There  were  arsenals,  for- 
tresses, custom  houses,  and  other  public  property  in  the  South.  The  forts 
and  arsenals  in  the  North  were  stripped  of  movable  military  stores,  and  were 
sent  South.  The  United  States  Navy  was  scattered  to  the  four  quarters  of 
the  globe,  and  most  of  the  ships  in  commission  were  beyond  the  reach  of 
speedy  recall ;  others  were  lying  in  ordinary  in  the  navy  yards  under  the  pre- 
tense of  being  repaired,  but  no  work  was  being  done  upon  them.  The  United 
States  Army  Ofificers,  in  suspected  sympathy  with  the  North,  were  sent  to  the 
extreme  West,  and  the  credit  of  the  government  was  purposely  injureil.  A 
small  loan  could  not  find  a  market  at  twelve  per  cent,  interest.  This  was 
the  condition  of  things.  Some  wanted  to  strike  the  blow  as  soon  as  the 
election  was  over;  others  had  another  plan,  which  was  this,  as  avowed  by  a 
disunionist  who  was  in  the  plot: 

"  We  intend  to  take  possession  of  the  army  and  navy  and  the  archives  of 
government;  not  allow  the  electoral  votes  to  be  counted;  proclaim  Buchanan 
Provisional  President  if  he  will  do  as  we  wish,  if  not  choose  another;  seize 
Harper's  Ferry  Arsenal  and  the  Norfolk  Navy  Yard,  and  sending  armed  nicii 
from  tilt  former,  and  armed  \essels  from  the  latter,  seize  the  city  of  Washing- 
ton  and  establish  a  new  government."  Why  was  this  not  tlone  ?  Lewis  Cass 
was  Secret. iry  of  State,  antl  lie  discovered  the  treason  of  his  associates ;  but 
being  powerless  to  avert  the  danger,  he  resigned.  The  Attorney  General  w  is 
promoted  to  be  Secretary  of  State,  and  lulwin  M.  Stanton  was  called  to  he 
Attorney  General.  Joseph  Holt  and  John  A.  l)ix,  who  had  been  called  into 
Buchanan's  Caoinet,  were  lo\al  men,  and  brought  a  {pressure  upon  the  Pre-^i- 
lent  that  he  could  not  withstand,  and  while  he  ditl  nothing  to  openly  aid  the 
pi>)t,  he  was  obliged  to  make  a  show  of  sustaining  the  National  government. 

The  first  step  to  open  revolt  was  made  by  South  Carolina.  A  con\entioii 
of  delegates  in 'Charleston,  adopted  an  Ordinance  of  Secession  December  20th, 
i860.  This  was  signed  b)'  one  hundred  .md  seventy  members.  A  similar 
ordinance  was  passed  by  the  following  .States  in  the  order  given:   Mississippi, 


THE  STORY  OF  ITS  PROGRESS  AND  GROWTH. 


477 


January  9th,  1861;  Florida,  January  loth;  Alabama,  January  nth;  Georgia, 
January  19;  Louisiana,  January  26th;  Texas,  February  1st;  Virginia,  April 
17th;  Arkansas,  May  6th;  North  Carolina,  May  20th;  Tennessee,  June  8th. 

On  the  fourth  of  February,  1861,  delegates  from  six  of  the  States  above 
named  met  at  Montgomery,  Alabama,  and  formed  a  league  styled  TllE  Cox- 
IFDERATE  STATES  ()E  AMERICA.  A  provisional  Constitution  was  adopted, 
ami  Jefferson  Davis,  of  Mississippi,  was  chosen  Provisional  President,  with 
Alexander  H.  Stephens,  of  Georgia,  Vice  President.  This  organization  of  a 
few  conspirators, — since  no  Ordinance  of  Secession  was  ever  submitted  to 
popular  vote, — became  a  self-styled  government,  and  made  war  on  the  United 
States;  seized  its  public  property;  put  a  loan  upon  the  markets  of  the  world; 
issued  letters  of  marque  and  reprisal,  and  raised  armies  to  overthrow  the 
government,  while  yet  the  passive  friend  of  the  slaveholders  was  in  the  presi- 
dential chair  at  Washington.  To  increase  the  difficulties  which  now  beset 
the  President,  his  former  Attorney  General,  J.  S.  Black,  had  declared  substan- 
tially, that  the  Executive  possessed  no  constitutional  power  to  use  the  Army 
aiul  Na\y  for  the  preservation  of  the  life  of  the  Republic. 

A  Peace  Convention  was  helil  at  Washington  in  February,  1 861,  but  its 
efforts  to  effect  a  compromise  were  futile.  All  propositions  for  compromise 
made  in  and  out  of  Congress  were  rejected  by  the  loyal  National  legislature. 
The  i)oor,  distressed  President  Buchanan  had  to  do  his  best  for  the  time 
which  remained  of  his  term  of  office.  The  Southern  members  of  his  Cabinet 
hoUiing  on  to  their  positions  as  long  as  they  could  be  of  any  service  to  the 
South,  had  left  their  chief  to  fdl  their  places  with  Northern  men.  The  first 
o\crt  act  of  war  was  performed  when  Maj(jr  Robert  Anderson,  a  loyal  Ken- 
tuckian,  refused  to  give  up  l'\)rt  Sumter,  into  which  he  had  retired  from  a 
WL.iker  fort,  Moultrie. 

The  General-in-chief  of  the  army  was  Lieutenant  General  Scott,  who  was 
enfeebled  in  body  and  mind  from  age,  and  although  he"  was  loyal  he  was 
unable  long  to  cope  with  the  mighty  problem.  He,  however,  was  vigilant  and 
took  efficient  measures  to  secure  the  safety  of  Mr.  Lincoln  on  his  arrival  after 
his  perilous  journey  through  Balti.V"  re,  on  the  23d  of  February,  1861.  He 
secured  peace  and  quiet  in  Washington  until  after  the  inauguration  of  the  new 
President. 


J  ! 


}    ■ 


% 

Hj^ivr  ^.' 

i|-;;j 

i^' 

i^H<  ( ■  .V 

'i'^bHIHI'*  *'   1 

;]^fflyfj::; 

',jlBI|l  j (<!'„'      j' 

JUlii:  •;,   > 

'■;*«W:j|i', 

/jMffi,;;  ;i,   '; 

'-;<Mi|t  y ; 

|jM|:v^,.  J-., 

filijjSffi.v'  '*'  1 

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I9}i'-' 

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■:?3lKV'-   ' 

(   /J«^*'i  'f  \ 

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ii^'^'il^r 

''i.HU 

p,i.^'''^i" 

tenii'. : 

Mfi^'lf"'-    ' 

'.''■1 

1?^''  i"!'  ,' 

•■ilLl..''          ■ 

478  OUR  NATION: 

THE   CIVIL  WAR,    1861-5. 

ADMINISTRATION   OF  ABRAHAM    LINCOLN. 

The  sixteenth  President  of  the  United  States  was  inducted  into  his  office 
in  the  midst  of  bitter  enemies  on  every  side,  on  March  4th,  1861.  GciKr.il 
Scott  had  arranged  the  miUtary  forces  at  his  disposal  in  such  a  way  that  thiy 
could  be  called  upon  in  any  exigency  that  might  arise  from  any  suspected 
outbreak  in  the  National  Capitol.  But  all  passed  off  quietly,  and  the  Prcsi- 
dent  took  the  oath  of  office,  as  his  predecessors  had  done,  in  the  op(;n  air.  ,it 
the  east  portico  of  the  Capitol.    The  Senate  confirmed  his  nominations  at  oim.'. 

The  new  administration  set  itself  at  work  with  great  zeal  to  ascertain  tlic 
resources  of  the  government  and  found  what  we  have  already  hinted  at.  The 
public  credit  was  injured,  but  the  now  loyal  Congress  set  at  work  to  restore  il. 
The  Army  and  Navy  were  of  little  use.  Of  the  former  there  were  only  i^.axi 
men,  and  most  of  them  were  on  the  frontiers.  Si.xteen  forts  win  all  their 
equipments  were  in  the  hands  of  the  South,  and  all  the  arsenals  there.  The 
value  of  the  public  property  in  the  hands  of  the  insurgents  was  thirty  million 
dollars.  There  were  forty-four  vessels  in  commission,  and  of  these  on!)-  duc, 
the  Brooklyn,  of  twenty-five  guns,  and  a  storeship  were  ready  for  immediate 
service.  Many  ofificers  of  the  navy  were  Southern  men  and  had  resigned, 
leaving  this  branch  of  service  very  weak  ;',nd  crippled. 

The  first  gun  fired  at  .Sumter,  April  12th,  1 861,  awoke  the  slumberini.' 
nation,  which  had  thought  that  all  this  array  in  the  .South  was  for  effect . 
Before  Major  Anderson  and  his  heroic  band  brought  away  the  flag  from 
Sumter,  which  he  evacuated  but  did  uot  surrender,  there  was  a  divided  senti- 
ment in  the  North;  some  thought  that  there  could  be  no  war  and  th.it  ,1 
peaceful  solution  was  still  possible;  others  comprehended  the  spirit  of  the 
revolt  and  were  saflsfied  that  the  struggle  would  produce  bloodshed.  Tlie  flai,^ 
w  as  lowered  from  Sumter  on  April  14th,  and  a  terrible  civil  war  was  at  once  in- 
augurated. .Such  an  uprising  the  land  had  not  seen  before.  Men  of  all  grades  of 
society  at  the  north,  and  every  political  and  religious  creed,  were  ready  to  s])rinL,' 
to  arms  in  defense  of  the  Union,  at  the  call  of  the  President  two  days  later. 
Seventy-five  thousand  men  were  called  for  a  three  months'  service,  and  were 
hurried  to  the  front  from  all  the  Northern  States.  The  six  slave  States,  to 
whose  governors  a  requisition  for  troops  was  sent,  treated  the  whole  sul)ject 
with  utter  scorn.     The  crusade  was  spontaneous;    in  every  town  and  hamht 


yfe; 


THE  STORY  OF  ITS  PROGRESS  AND  GROWTH. 


479 


and  village  the  Stars  and  Stripes  were  displayed,  and  brave  men  enlisted  with- 
alacrity,  and  marched  to  the  front.  Nothing  like  it  had  been  known  since  the- 
crusades  of  the  Middle  Ages  to  redeem  t'"-  tomb  of  the  Saviour  from  the 
Moslem.  The  Nation  was  in  danger,  and  the  old  spirit  of  the  fathers  now 
glowed  in  the  bosoms  of  their  sons.  But  little  did  they  know  what  was  before 
them.  Three  months  they  thought  would  suffice  to  put  down  the  revolt. 
Three  months  and  they  would  come  home  as  heroes,  and  a  grateful  country 
would  honor  them  as  the  preservers  of  their  nation.  They  soon  found  that 
the  South  was  organized  for  war,  and  fighting  at  its  own  doors  on  the* defen- 
sive. They  had  mistaken  the  spirit  and  temper  of  the  men  in  arms  against 
the  government. 

In  the  South  there  was  also  a  wide-spread  mistake  in  regard  to  the  North. 
They  thought  that  the  Northern  people  would  not  fight,  and  that  their  friends 
of  the  pro-slavery  party  there  would  make  a  strong  resistance  in  their  favor. 
Within  seven  days  after  the  attack  on  Sumter,  the  South  had  an  army  in  the 
field  ready  for  battle,  and  the  shout  "  On  to  Washington,"  was  as  enthusiastic 
as  the  cry  "  On  to  Richmond  "  was  afterwards  in  the  North.  The  South  and 
the  North  were  of  the  same  race,  but  under  the  sunny  sky  the  former  had 
warmed  up  to  fever  heat,  and  were  ready  for  war  at  the  instant ;  tlie  latter, 
iiiulcr  a  colder  climate,  was  longer  in  being  aroused,  but  when  once  in  thor- 
ough earnest  they  had  entered  the  strife  with  the  determination  to  conquer 
01  die.  These  were  the  two  parties  in  the  contest,  and  now,  in  dead  earnest, 
there  could  be  no  cessation  in  the  deadly  grapple  until  one  or  the  other  should 
succumb  to  superior  strength  and  determination. 

Governor  Pickens  had  said  to  the  people  of  the  cotton-growing  States, 
"Sow  your  seed  in  peace  for  old  Virginia  will  have  to  bear  the  brunt  of 
brttle."  So  prompt  was  the  uprising  of  the  people  in  the  North  that  three 
(lays  after  the  issue  of  the  call  for  troops  several  companies  of  militia  arrived 
in  Washington  ready  for  service.  The  Sixth  Regiment  of  Massachusetts  vol- 
unteers were  attacked  on  the  streets  of  Baltimore,  and  the  first  blood  was 
slicil  in  the  war  on  the  igth  of  April.  Communication  by  rail  and  tele- 
j^raph  was  severed  between  that  city  and  Washington,  and  for  several  days 
the  President  and  his  Cabinet  were  virtually  prisoners  in  their  Capital,  but 
General  Benjamin  F.  Butler  with  Massachusetts  men  found  a  way  tlicr  ■  by 
water  to  Annapolis,  and  partly  by  rail  across  Maryland,  and  relievetl  the 
anxiety  of  suspense.  Troops  of  hopeful  men  began  to  throng  to  the  Capital, 
but  they  were  none  too  soon,  for  an  army  was  being  collected  in    Northeru 


i  ■  ' 


iii-J' 


48o 


OUR  NATION: 


fl' 


■'!,  ■  ■ 


wM%y 


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Virginia  to  march  to  Wash in^,'! on  and  take  the  city.     Harper's  Ferry  Arscii.il 
and  the  Norfolk  Navy  Yard  liad  fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  insurgents. 

There  was  an  opinion  on  both  sides  that  the  war  would  be  brief,  and  the 
South  thought  that  she  had  only  to  inarch  on  to  the  Capital  of  the  United 
States,  seize,  hold  it  and  dictate  terms  of  peace  favorable  to  herself;  while 
the  North  regarded  the  Southern  uprising  as  a  formidable  riot  that  could  bu 
crushed  in  ninety  days,  so  little  did  either  party  Um  '•  rstand  the  grit  and 
persistency  of  the  other.  The  truth  was  that  fix  mill'oris  of  people  in  tlii' 
Southfhigh  spirited,  possessing  a  fertile  soil,  with  a  great  industry  upon  wiiiih 
the  manufactories  of  England  were  dependent  for  a  supply,  had  risen  against 
the  government  after  months,  if  not  years,  of  careful  preparation.  Tin- 
problem  before  the  loyal  States,  taken  at  a  fearful  disadvantage  in  the  matin- 
of  preparation,  was  how  to  conquer.  The  new  fl.ig  of  "stars  and  bars"  was 
floating  over  Alexandria  in  full  view  of  the  National  Capital.  Preparations 
were  being  pushetl  t(j  fortify  Arlington  Heights  from  which  the  Confederates 
could  shell  the  city  of  Washington.  At  Mana.ssas  Junction  a  large  army  were 
encamped  only  thirty  miles  away.  It  would  seem  to  a  casual  observer  that 
the  proper  course  to  pursue  would  have  been  to  act  on  the  defensive,  but  tlu 
North  were  now  fully  aroused.  They  had  been  deceived  by  the  threats  of 
disunion  so  many  times  before  that  it  had  taken  some  time  for  them  to  realize 
the  fact  now,  but  once  awake  to  its  stupendous  existence  they  bent  all  their 
■energies  to  its  suppression.  A  blockade  of  all  the  Southern  ports  was  de- 
clared, and  in  a  few  weeks  ships  enough  were  manned  to  .shut  every  Southern 
])ort  of  any  considerable  size. 

The  government  had  gained  much  in  a  short  time  but  there  was  a  genera! 
cry  for  some  decisive  battle.  The  Secretary  of  \V\ir,  at  this  time  more  san- 
guine of  a  short  contest  than  he  was  a  few  months  later,  yielded  to  the  popular 
pressure  and  ordered  the  imperfectly  disciplined  army  of  citizen  soldiers  to 
battle.  General  MacDowell,  with  an  army  variously  estimated  from  thirt)-  to 
forty  thousand,  marched  from  Arlington  Heights  and  vicinity  for  Manassas 
Junction,  on  Sunday,  June  17th.  The  volunteers,  not  yet  inured  to  hardship, 
suffered  much  on  this  march,  and  when  they  reached  Bull's  Run,  which  was 
to  become  famous  as  the  scene  of  a  great  battle,  they  were  met  by  the  Con- 
federate army  of  General  Beauregard,  when  a  general  engagement  took  place 
on  the  20th,  in  which  the  loss  was  heavy  on  both  sides.  The  Union  army  was 
repulsed  and  fled  in  a  precipitate  rout  to  Washington.  The  men  were 
jhurrying  in  wild  confusion  from  the  field  of  conflict.     The  defeat  had  caused 


THK  STORY  Ui-   ITS  TROGRESS  AND  GROWTH. 


48  f 


,1  general  panic,  and  bagj^a^jc  trains,  artillery,  cavalry,  iiif.mtry,  and  civilian* 
were  mixed  in  a  promiscuous  mass.  The  Confederates  had  won  the  battle, 
hut  showed  no  disposition  to  follow  up  the  advantage.  In  fact  they  had  suf- 
fered severely,  anil  in  this  first  general  engagement  each  side  was  eipially 
astonished  at  the  force  displayed  on  the  other,  and  awoke  to  the  consciousnes.s 
(if  the  fact  that  there  was  equal  deteririination  and  bravery  in  both  armies.. 
The  North  were  taught  that  the  work  of  putting  down  the  insurrection  was 
a  more  stupendous  task  than  had  been  imagined,  but  their  purpose  was  not 
shaken. 

On  the  day  after  the  battle  Congress  voted  to  raise  five  hundred  million 
ijdllars  and  five  hundred  thousand  men  to  put  down  the  insurrection.  A  fe\v 
il.iys  afterwards  a  resolution  passed  both  Houses,  saying  that  it  was  a  sacred 
<luty  of  the  nation  to  put  down  the  revolt,  from  which  m  disaster  should  deter 
them,  and  to  which  they  I'.ledged  every  resource,  national  ;.i  d  iiulividu  d.  Mr. 
Lincoln  said:  "  Having  chosen  our  course  without  guile  and  with  pure  pur- 
pose, let  us  renew  our  trust  in  God  and  go  forward  without  fear  and  with 
iiianl)'  hearts." 

The  sjiirit  of  the  North  was  fully  aroused,  and  no  thought  of  any  other 
issue  than  of  success  came  to  them.  Thousands  of  earnest  youth  aiid  middle- 
;r^ed  men  thronged  into  the  ranks,  animated  with  the  same  lofty  spirit  of 
jjatriotism.  Many  of  the  three  months'  men  re-enlisted  for  three  years. 
Regiments  and  brigades,  tlivisions  antl  army  corps,  were  organized,  and  the 
army  was  rapidly  disciplined  and  prepared  for  the  fearful  task  imposed. 
Public  credit  was  established  and  the  warmest  patriotism  was  aroused.  The 
money  to  pay  the  soldiers  of  a  Connecticut  Regiment  was  not  ready  on  time,, 
and  a  private  in  the  ranks  drew  his  check  for  one  hundred  thousand  dollars 
to  advance  the  pay  of  his  comrades.  This  man  was  Elias  Howe,  Jr.,  of  Bridge- 
port, the  inventor  of  the  sewing  machine.  He  had  a  physical  infirmity  which 
would  have  exempted  him  from  military  service,  nnd  when  a  commission  was 
offered  to  'him  he  refused  it  on  the  ground  of  his  inability  to  perform  the 
duties;  but  he  enlisted  as  a  private  to  encourage  other  men  who  could  per- 
form good  service,  to  do  the  same. 

After  the  disaster  at  Hull's  Run,  General  George  B.  McClellan  was  placed 
in  command.  He  was  a  skillful  engineer  and  organizer  and  set  about  the  task 
of  forming  this  incongruous  mass  of  patriotic  volunteers  into  a  well-arranged 
and  thoroughly  ilisciplineil  arm)'.  His  friends  knew  that  he  was  the  man  to 
mold  the  army  and  make  it  what  it  should  be,  an  obedient,  disciplined  and 


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Corpordtion 


23  WEST  MAIN  STRfET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  MS80 

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OUR  NATION: 


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well-officered  instrument  of  the  government.  In  October,  1861,  he  was  the 
commander  of  two  hundred  thousand  fighting-men,  the  largest  army  the 
United  States  had  ever  known.  The  men  loved  him  with  an  enthusiasm  that 
had  been  unequalled  since  the  days  of  Bonaparte,  and  the  army  delighted  to 
call  him  "  The  young  Napoleon  of  the  West." 

After  the  secession  of  Virginia  the  Confederate  government  removed  its 
seat  from  Montgomery,  Alabama,  to  Richmond,  and  now  the  capitals  of  the 
two  contending  forces  were  within  a  few  hoursi'  travel  of  each  other.  The 
most  severe  fighting  of  the  entire  war  was  occasioned  by  each  endeavoring 
to  capture  the  capital  of  the  other,  and  the  brave  obstinacy  displayed  in  the 
defence  of  each. 

General  Robert  E.  Lee  became  the  commander  of  the  Confederate  army. 
He  had  been  educatecf  at  the  United  States  Military  Academy  at  West  Point, 
and  was  an  officer  in  the  United  States  Army  when  his  native  State,  Virginia, 
joined  her  fortunes  with  the  Confederacy,  and  following  his  sense  of  duty  and 
honor,  he  allied  his  fortunes  with  those  of  his  native  State.  He  was  a  brave, 
conscientious  and  skillful  general,  and  a  calm,  thoughtful,  unpretending  man. 
He  contended  almost  always  with  a  force  superior  in  number  and  armament, 
— such  was  the  fortunes  of  war — but  he  made  up  more  than  the  deficiency  by 
his  genius  and  skill  with  the  aid  of  very  able  assistants.  By  his  consummate 
ability,  and  his  devotion  to  the  cause,  the  war  was  maintained  after  the  hope 
of  success  was  gone,  and  when  at  length  the  overpowering  resources,  and 
numbers  of  the  North  compelled  his  surrender,  he  was  esteemed  even  by  his 
enemies,  who  were  proud  of  this  noble  but  erring  son,  who  had  been  educatfid 
by  the  nation  against  which  he  had,  with  mistaken  judgment,  drawn  his  valiant 
sword. 

Thomas  J.  Jackson,  who  earned  the  epithet  of  "  Stonewall  "  Jackson,  was 
the  most  celebrated  of  Lee's  generals.  He  was  an  earnest,  religious  man  of 
stern,  uncompromising  integrity,  which  won  the  admiration  of  friend  and  foe 
alike ;  and  he  had  gone  into  the  war  from  a  high  sense  of  duty,  and  showed 
how  a  brilliant  man  can  be  sadly  mistaken  in  judgment.  He  was  scrupulously 
exact  in  his  own  private  life,  led  a  class  in  Sunday  School,  taught  his  negroes, 
and  delivered  lectures  on  the  authenticity  of  the  Scriptures.  He  firmly  be- 
lieved in  the  justness  of  slavery,  and  ordered  his  slaves  to  be  flogged  when  he 
thought  the  circumstances  required  it.  General  Jackson  worked  and  fought 
for  the  preservation  of  the  Slave  system  with  the  earnestness  of  a  conscien- 
tious zealot.     He  was  the  strong  right  arm  of  General  Lee  after  the  latter 


•THE  STORY  OF  ITS  PROGRESS  AND  GROWTH. 


483 


became  the  chief  of  the  Confederate  Army.    He  was  a  brave,  expert  and  suc- 
cessful general,  and  died  regretted  by  honest  men  in  both  armies. 

In  January,  1862,  President  Lincoln  ordered  General  McClellan  to  ad- 
vance with  his  finely  equipped  army  upon  the  enemy,  and  by  the  end  of  March 
he  was  ready  to  move. 

At  the  opening  of  the  new  year  we  will  glance  back  over  the  history  of 
the  year  1861.  Fort  Sumter  had  been  evacuated  by  Major  Anderson,  April 
14th.  President  Lincoln  had  issued  his  call  for  troops  on  the  15th.  The 
sixth  Massachusetts  had  been  mobbed  in  the  streets  of  Baltimore  on  the  19th. 
The  offensive  operations  were  begun  by  the  United  States  Army  on  the  iSth 
of  May.  The  engagements  of  Big  Bethel,  Philippi,  Fairfax  Court  House, 
Paterson  Creek,  Mather's  Point,  York  Bridge,  Laurel  Hill,  Rich  Mountain, 
Beverly,  Carricksford,  Bunker  Hill,  Barboursville,  all  in  Virginia,  had  been 
fought  before  the  disaster  at  Bull  Run,  of  which  we  have  written.  They  were, 
for  the  most  part  but  preliminary  skirmishes,  and  in  no  sense  decisive.  The 
insurrection  in  Maryland  had  been  strangled  at  its  birth,  and  that  State  was 
saved  to  the  Unic»n.  In  Missouri,  engagements  of  considerable  importance 
had  been  fought,  namely  at  Boonville,  Carthage,  Dug  Springs  and  Wilson's 
Creek.  The  Confederate  privateer  Petrel  was  sunk  by  the  St.  Lawrence^ 
August  1st.  Fort  Fillmore  in  New  Mexico  was  treacherously  given  up  by 
Major  Lynde,  with  seven  hundred  and  fifty  men  ;  Lovettsville,  Grafton,  Boone 
Court  House,  Carnifex,  Lucas  Bend,  LeA'insville  Elk  Water,  Cheat  Moun- 
tain, Darnstown,  Romney,  Fall's  Church,  Chapmansville,  Greenbriar,  Bolivar, 
Balls  Bluffs,  Vienna  and  Drainsville,  all  in  Virginia,  were  places  where  more 
or  less  blood  was  shed  during  the  opening  years  of  the  war.  In  the  State  of 
Missouri,  whose  governor  was  determined  to  take  her  out  of  the  Union,  a 
severe  contest  ensued,  which  resulted  in  driving  the  Confederates  from  hef 
borders,  and  preserving  her  to  the  United  States.  Potosi,  Wilson  Creek, 
Charlestown,  Lexington,  Blue  Mill  Landing,  Papinsville,  Fredericktown, 
Springfield,  Belmont,  Mount  Sion,  were  the  names  of  places  where  engage- 
ments were  fought  in  that  State. 

In  Kentucky  the  Confederates  gained  a  slight  foothold  in  the  southern 
and  western  part.  The  governor  encouraged  the  secessionists  whilst  he  kept 
up  a  show  of  neutrality.  He  allowed  them  to  establish  recruiting  camps  for 
the  Confederate  Army,  and  looked  with  complacency  upon  the  invasion  of 
the  State  by  a  Confederate  force  under  General  Polk,  who  took  possession  of 
Columbus,  on  the  bank  of  the  Mississippi  River.    Union  officers  took  vigorous 


;!!•?.' 


U-  3! 


i  I 


M' 


HI)  :  "' 


484 


OUR  NATION; 


mi^: 


opposing  measures.  General  Grant  took  possession  of  Paducah  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Tennessee  Rive-.  The  "  neutrality  "  of  Kentucky  was  soon  ended,  and 
the  State  finally  took  a  positive  stand  for  the  Union.  There  had  been  con- 
siderable  skirimishing  on  its  soil  during  the  year,  and  severe  battles  were 
fought  there  afterwards. 

In  the  fall  of  1861,  there  occurred  an  event  which  for  a  time  threatened 
to  cause  a  rupture  with  Great  Britain.  The  Confederate  government  had 
sent  two  commissioners  as  ambassadors  to  the  English  and  French  courts, 
which  had  already  acceded  belligerent  rights  to  "  The  Confederate  States  of 
America."  These  gentlemen,  each  with  his  secretary,  had  succeeded  in  run- 
ning  the  blockade  at  Charleston  on  the  stormy  night  of  October  12th,  1861, 
and  proceeded  to  Cuba.  Here  they  took  passage  on  the  British  steamer 
Trent  for  St.  Thomas,  intending  to  take  the  regular  packet  steamer  from  that 
port  for  England.  The  United  States  vessel,  San  Jacinto,  Captain  Charles 
Wilkes,  took  them  from  the  Trait  and  carried  them  to  Boston,  where  they 
were  incarcerated  in  Fort  Warren,  then  used  as  a  military  prison.  This  aet 
was  in  the  strictest  accord  with  the  British  interpretation  and  practice  of  the 
act  which  the  war  of  18 12  led  to,  and  which  was  left  undecided  in  the  treaty 
of  peace  at  the  close  of  that  war.  But  it  was  in  direct  opposition  to  the 
avowed  theory  and  policy  of  the  American  government.  England  now 
claimed,  as  the  Americans  claimed  in  181 2,  that  this  was  a  violation  of  the 
rights  of  neutral  powers.  Thus  after  fifty  years,  in  which  she  had  strenuously 
maintained  the  right  to  do  the  very  thing  which  the  United  States  had  now 
done,  that  proud  nat'on  acknowledged  that  the  principle  was  wrong.  A  de- 
mand was  made  for  the  return  of  the  ambassadors,  James  M.  Mason  and  John 
Slidell.     The  American  government  were  too  glad  to  vindicate  their  policy, 

• 

and  to  rid  themselves  of  the  burden,  by  giving  up  the  men  on  January  ist, 
1862.  The  ambassadors  did  not  gain  the  advantage  they  sought,  and  the 
event  silenced  forever  the  arrogant  claim  of  England  to  search  the  ships  of 
neutrals. 


THE   OPERATIONS   OF    1862. 


The  year  1862  opened  with  preparations  to  establish  the  national 
power  on  the  Atlantic  coast  of  the  Southern  States.  An  expedition  under 
command  of  Major  General  A.  E.  Burnside,  sailed  from  Hampton  Roads 
January  nth.     The  result  was  that  Roanoke  Island  and  the  waters  of  Albe- 


THE  STORY  OF  ITS  PROGRESS  AND  GROV/TH.  485 

marie  Sound  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Union  forces.  The  Confederate  force 
fled  from  Port  Royal,  South  Carolina,  January  2d. 

In  Kentucky  there  had  been  a  fight  near  Prestonburg,  in  which  General 
J.  A.  Garfield,  defeated  the  Confederate  General  Humphrey  Marshall,  January 
lOth.  General  Thomas  had  defeated  General  ZollicofTer  in  a  battle  at  Mill 
Spring,  Kentucky,  where  the  latter  was  killed.  Kentucky  was  saved  and  a 
path  of  escape  made  for  the  Union  men  in  East  Tennessee  by  these  two  de- 
cisive victories.     The  Confederates  fled  into  Tennessee, 

A  flotilla  of  gun  boats  had  been  built  and  equipped  under  the  direction 
of  General  John  C.  Fremont,  of  California  fame,  at  Cairo  on  the  Mississippi. 
Commodore  A.  H.  Foote  had  been  put  in  command.  An  expedition  against 
Forts  Henry  and  Donelson  had  been  organized,  and  General  U.  S.  Grant  had 
been  put  in  chief  command.  Commodore  Foote  was  ordered  to  the  Tennes- 
see River  with  his  gun  boats.  On  February  3d,  he  was  in  front  of  Fort 
Henry,  and  on  the  6th,  the  fort  surrendered.  General  Grant  made  immediate 
preparation  to  attack  Fort  Donelson  on  the  Cumberland  River,  while  Com- 
modore Foote  huTied  back  to  Cairo  to  obtain  mortar  guns  for  the  siege.  The 
battle  began  on  the  13th,  continued  on  the  two  following  days,  when  the  fort 
was  surrendered  on  the  i6th  with  thirteen  thousand  three  hundred  prisoners 
of  war.  The  Confederate  Generals,  Floyd  and  Pillow,  fled  the  night  before 
and  left  General  Buckner,  who  was  the  only  brave  man  of  the  three,  to  sur- 
render the  fort.  This  was  the  first  brilliant  vi-'^ory  for  General  Grant  during 
the  war.  The  fall  of  Fort  Donelson  was  a  heavy  blow  to  the  Confederates, 
but  the  news  caused  wide-spread  rejoicing  all  through  the  loyal  States.  It 
was  regarded  as  a  crushing  blow  to  the  Southern  cause,  and  lost  to  them  the 
States  of  Missouri,  Kentucky  and  all  northern  and  middle  Tennessee. 

The  campaign  in  Arkansas  resulted  after  a  few  skirmishes  in  a  decisive 
victory  for  the  Union  forces  under  General  S.  R.  Curtis,  at  Pea  Ridge,  on 
the  7th  of  February,  1862,  in  which  the  five  C.  nfederate  generals,  Van  Dorn, 
McCulloch,  Mcintosh,  Pike  and  Price  were  engaged.  McCulloch  and  Mcin- 
tosh were  mortally  wounded,  and  Van  Dorn  retired  behind  the  mountains. 
The  Confederate  army  lost  thirty-four  hundred  men  in  killed  and  wounded, 
and  sixteen  hundred  prisoners. 

While  these  important  victories  were  going  on  in  the  West  there  were 
events  of  interest  occurring  in  Virginia.  The  Confederates  had  taken  an  old 
frigate  which  they  sheathed  in  iron  and  roofed  her  with  iron  rails  and  fitted 
her  up  as  a  formidable  iron-clad  vessel.     There  was  no  ship  in  the  United 


!  I 


'I  ■(  , 


m 


486 


OUR  NATION; 


h*p'  r. 


•I' 


States  Navy  which  could  withstand  her  attack.  On  the  8th  of  March  she 
steamed  down  to  assault  the  Union  vessels  in  Hampton  Roads.  This  mon- 
ster, which  had  been  re-christened  the  Ahrrimoc,  came  into  the  very  midst  of 
the  wooden  ships.  Not  a  man  was  seen  on  board,  not  a  gun  was  fired,  and 
the  broadsides  poured  in  upon  her  rolled  off  her  iron  sides  and  left  her  un- 
harmed. She  destroyed  the  Congress  and  Cumberland,  and  no  power  could  with- 
stand her  assault.  The  Union  vessels  there  were  apparently  doomed,  and  this 
monster  seemed  able  to  devastate  the  whole  Northern  coast.  There  were  anx- 
ious  hearts  that  day  through  all  the  North  as  the  news  of  this  encounter  flew 
on  the  wires  over  the  country.  The  Confederates  had  the  advantage  of  thcni 
now,  and  could  rest  on  their  laurels  for  one  night  at  least.  The  next  day  she 
came  down  the  James  to  complete  her  work  of  destruction  so  well  begun  the 
day  before.  But  at  midnight  a  mysterious  something  came  in  from  the  sea, 
lighted  on  her  way  by  the  burning  Congress.  The  thing  looked  like  a  cheese 
box  on  a  raft;  and  there  had  been  nothing  like  it  in  the  whole  history  of  naval 
warfare.  It  was  the  Monitor  on  her  trial  trip  from  New  York.  That  day  was 
the  trial  of  strength  between  the  invei.tive  genius  of  the  two  sections.  The 
Yankee  cheese  box  won  the  pri^e.  In  the  novel  naval  engagement  she  was 
the  victor,  and  the  Merrimac  crawled  back  to  her  moorings  disabled  and  use- 
less. The  United  States  Navy  had  found  a  champion  that  could  defend  her 
from  the  monster  that  but  yesterday  threatened  her  annihilation. 

The  army  of  the  Potomac  under  McClellan  was  transferred  to  Fortress 
Monroe,  and  began  his  march  up  the  Virginia  Peninsula.  General  Banks  was 
sent  up  the  Shenandoah  Valley  to  confront  General  Stonewall  Jackson.  The 
battle  of  Winchester  was  fought  on  the  23d  of  March  and  resulted  in  a  victory 
of  the  Union  arms. 

The  month  of  May  found  General  Fremont  in  the  mountains  of  Virginia; 
General  Banks  at  Strasburg  in  the  Shenandoah  valley;  and  General  McDowell 
at  Fredericksburg  on  the  Rappahannock,  for  the  two-fold  purpose  of  defend- 
ing Washington  and  helping  McClellan.  The  swift-moving  General  Ewell 
had  joined  Jackson,  and  on  May  8th  struck  Fremont  a  heavy  blow,  and  May 
23d  sent  Banks  flying  down  the  valley  to  Winchester.  Then  the  tide  turned 
and  Ewell  was  driven  back,  pursued  by  Fremont  and  Shields.  Jackson  rallied 
his  forces,  joined  Ewell  and,  on  the  9th  of  June,  the  national  armies  began 
their  second  great  race  down  the  Shenandoah  Valley  followed  by  the  Con- 
federates. 

The  two  main  armies  were  face  to  face  with  each  other  on  the  first  of 


H^ 


on  the  first  of 


THE  STORY  OF  ITS  PROGRESS  AND  GROWTH. 


487 


June,  within  six  or  seven  miles  of  the  Confederate  Capital.  The  army  of  the 
Union  were  anxious  to  enter  the  city  of  Richmond  at  once,  and  the  time  had 
come  for  a  decisive  blow.  The  leader  was  wanting;  McClellan's  habitual 
caution  and  desire  to  save  human  life  led  him  to  be  over  anxious  for  the  safety 
of  the  army,  every  man  of  which  loved  him.  They  were  burning  to  win  glory 
and  honor,  and  were  in  good  condition  to  march  directly  into  the  city.  Lin- 
coln urged  him  daily  to  make  the  attack,  but  still  he  hesitated.  The  Con- 
federates came  out  to  attack  him,  and  after  several  battles  the  general  made 
preparations  to  retreat  to  the  shelter  of  the  gunboats  on  the  James  River. 
He  would  save  his  army  or  "  at  least  die  with  it  and  share  its  fate." 

The  army  of  patriots  were  anxious  to  fight  on  the  offensive  and  could 
decide  the  question  of  its  own  fate,  but  the  general,  over-solicitous,  moved 
away  from  the  enemy,  and  his  army  was  daily  attacked  by  the  Confederates, 
and  as  often  gained  the  victory ;  but  still  they  held  back.  Once  they  drove 
the  enemy  fleeing  before  them  and  the  soldiers  demanded  to  be  led  into  Rich- 
moncl.  The  army  was  strong  enough  but  its  leader  was  weak.  McClellan 
was  loyal  and  desired  the  success  of  the  NortL,  nor  would  we  for  an  instant 
hint  at  any  improper  motives.  He  lost  fifteen  thousand  men  in  seven  days' 
fight  from  Gaines'  Mills,  June  28th,  to  July  3d,  1862.  The  army  of  General 
Lee  had  sustained  a  loss  even  larger,  and  when  McClellan  was  fortifying  his 
camp  near  the  James  R.iver,  Lee  was  glad  to  rest  his  shattered  and  discom- 
forted  troops  behind  the  fortifications  of  Richmond.  The  retreat  was  a  mas- 
terly and  skillful  one,  and  showed  good  generalship  no  doubt,  but  neither  the 
army  nor  the  country  were  in  a  humor  to  appreciate  the  greatness  of  a  General 
whose  skill  consisted  in  conducting  a  successful  flight.  The  prize  had  been 
within  the  grasp  of  a  hand  powerful  enough  to  seize  it,  but  the  brain  that 
directed  that  power  vvas  conservative  and  cautious,  and  therefore  the  city  of 
Richmond  was  to  be  a  bone  of  contention  between  the  magnificent  army  of 
the  Potomac  and  the  brave  army  of  Virginia  for  nearly  three  years  longer. 
The  Confederates  were  exultant,  and  the  North  was  sadly  disappointed  with 
the  results  of  the  campaign  of  the  Spring  of  1862. 

We  will  turn  in  this  swiftly  changing  panorama  to  the  West.  The  silent, 
determined  and  persistent  General  U.  S.  Grant  was  doing  valiant  service  for 
tile  Union  army,  and  rising  in  rank  and  influence.  After  the  fall  of  Fort 
Donelson,  Johnston  saw  that  he  could  only  save  the  Confederate  army  by 
evacuating  Bowling  Green,  and  Columbus,  Kentucky;  he  then  marched  his 
forces  to  Nashville,  Tennessee,  closely  followed  by  General  Buell,  and  at  the 


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same  time  the  national  gunboats  moved  up  the  Tennessee  River  with  land 
troops  in  gunboats.  Nashville  was  surrendered  to  the  Union  forces  FY-bruiuy 
26th,  and  on  March  4th  Andrew  Johnson  was  appointed  Military  Governor^ 
with  the  rank  of  Brigadier-General.  Columbus  was  taken  by  Commodore 
Foote  and  General  W.  T.  Sherman,  March  4th,  1862. 

Island  Number  Ten,  a  thousand  miles  from  New  Orleans,  was  now  re- 
garded as  the  key  to  the  Mississippi  River,  and  was  strongly  fortified  by  the 
Confederates.  This  was  flanked  by  General  Pope ;  and  Commodore  Footo 
hammered  away  at  the  defertses  from  his  gunboats  until  it  .':urrendered,  April 
fth.  This  was  another  heavy  blow  to  the  Confederates,  and  they  never  re- 
covered from  it.  General  Grant  had  sent  the  gunboats  up  the  winding  Tc". 
ncssee  River,  from  Fort  Henry,  and  they  penetrated  tlie  country  as  far  as 
Florence,  Alabama,  under  Lieutenant-Commander  Phelps,  United  States 
Navy,  who  found  an  intensely  loyal  feeling  among  the  people.  The  army 
were  anxious  to  advance  to  their  aid,  and  General  Grant  attempted  to  do 
this.  The  objective  point  was  Corinth,  a  city  on  the  Memphis  and  Charleston 
Railroad.  The  large  Union  army  was  encamped  at  Shiloh,  or  Pittsburg 
Landing,  about  twenty  miles  from  Corinth,  on  the  first  of  April.  General 
Buell  was  t'^'ing  to  join  Grant  with  his  forces  from  Nashville,  leaving  General 
Negley  •*;>  t::>;.mand  in  that  city.  Huntsville,  Alabama,  was  captured  April 
nth,  by  v,  ;.  irt  of  Buell's  army  under  General  Mitchell. 

The  battle  of  Shiloh  had  been  f'.ught  and  won  by  Grant,  on  the  7th. 
The  Southern  army  had  advanced  frcn  Corinth  to  within  four  miles  of  the 
Union  army  unperceived  on  the  morning  of  the  sixth,  Sunday,  and  fell  upon 
Generals  Sherman  and  Prentice.  The  battle  raged  all  day,  and  the  Union 
army  at  night  was  driven,  discomfited,  to  the  shelter  of  their  gunboats,  on 
the  Tennessee.  General  Johnston  had  been  killed.  Beauregard,  then  in  chief 
command,  telegraphed  a  shout  of  victory  to  his  chief  at  Richmond,  but  Buell 
and  Lew  Wallace  arrived  in  the  night,  crossed  the  river,  and  Grant's  army 
was  saved.  The  next  day,  when  the  fight  was  renewed,  Wallace  charged  on 
the  Confederate  left,  and  pressed  Beauregard  back.  The  battle  became  gen- 
eral, and  the  Southerners  were  driven  from  the  ground  that  they  had  taken 
the  day  before.  Then  they  fled  in  precipitate  rout,  covered  by  a  strong  rear 
guard.  The  South  lost  ten  thousand  men,  the  North  fifteen  thousand;  and 
that  night  the  Union  army  buried  the  dead  on  the  battle  field,  while  the 
enemy  fled  to  Corinth.  General  llallock  came  from  St.  Louis,  April  12th, 
and  assumed  command,  but  instead  of  marching  directly  upon  Corinth,  he 


THE  STORY  OF  ITS  PROGRESS  AND  GROWTH. 


489 


moved  by  slow  approaches  with  spade  and  pick,  fortifying  as  he  advanced. 
On  the  morning  of  May  30th,  when  he  >cnt  out  skirmishers  "  to  feel  the 
enemy's  position,"  there  were  no  enemies,  for  Corinth  had  been  evacuated, 
and  the  city  burned. 

Seventy-five  miles  above  the  mouths  of  the  Mississippi  the  Union  fleet 
under  Commodore  Farragut,  with  land  troops  under  General  Butler,  had  cap- 
tured Forts  Jackson  and  St.  Philip.  New  Orleans  had  been  occupied  by 
General  Butler,  who  declared  martial  law  April  29th.  Commodore  Foote, 
with  his  flotilla,  beseiged  Fort  Pillow,  May  10th,  and  on  the  4th  of  June  the 
Confederate  forces  fled  to  Memphis,  where  Commodore  Davis,  who  had  suc- 
ceeded Commodore  Foote,  had  a  severe  enga;, ,  •  on  June  6th,  but  soon 
after  the  flag  of  the  United  States  waved  over  the  city..  All  this  was  going 
on  in  the  wesl  .vhile  the  army  of  the  Potomac  was  movinfr  so  cautiously  under 
General  McClcJlan. 

The  expedition  to  North  Carolina  was  accomplishing  much  in  gaining 
that  State  back  to  national  control.  The  battle  of  New  Berne  was  fought  on 
March  8th,  and  a  fight  occurred  upon  the  nth  of  April,  near  Elizabeth  City. 
The  Northern  troops  had  taken  the  coast,  and  were  moving  into  the  interior. 
The  national  forces  r  .ptured  Fort  Mason,  at  the  entrance  of  Beaufort  Harbor, 
April  25,  and  nov  held  undisputed  sway  from  the  Dismal  Swamp  to  Cape 
Fear  River. 

While  General  Burnsidc  was  engaged  in  this  work  in  North  Carolina, 
General  T.  W.  Sherman  and  Commodore  Dupont  went  upon  a  similar  expedi- 
tion to  the  coast  of  South  Carolina  and  Georgia.  Fort  Pulaski  was  taken 
after  a  severe  pounding,  April  12,  and  this  comm.anded  the  entrance  to  the 
Savannah  River.  The  cuaa*^  of  Florida  was  easily  seized  in  the  early  winter. 
Fort  Clinch,  the  first  of  the  national  forts  re-occupied  since  their  seizure,  was 
taken  in  February;  Jacksonville.  Florida,  March  nth,  St.  Augustine  and 
I'ensacola,  opposite  Fort  Pickens,  which  never  had  been  in  possession  of  the 
South,  were  captured  in  ivLT'ch.  liius  in  less  than  a  year  from  the  fall  of 
Sumter,  the  United  States  was  in  possession  of  the  Atlantic  and  Gulf  Cast, 
as  far  as  Pensacola  bay,  with  ihe  exception  of  Charleston  harbor. 

The  scene  will  change  again  to  the   army  of   the    Potomac.     General 

McClellan  had  disappointed  the  country,  and  when  the  news  of  disasters  to 

,  the  Union  forces,  in  front  of  Richmond,  swept  over  the  North,  the  hearts  of 

the  people  sank  within  them.    The  commander  assured  the  government,  three 

days  after  the  battle  of  Malvern  Hill,  that  he  did  not  have  "over  fifty  thou- 


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sand  men  with  their  colors."  What  had  become  of  the  one  hundred  and 
sixty  thousand  men  who  had  been  sent  to  him  within  the  one  hundreil  days 
previous  ?  Lincohi  with  an  anxious  heart  hastened  to  the  head-quarters  of 
McClellan  to  solve  this  question  and  answer  his  request  for  more  troops. 
The  result  of  this  conference  was  that  Lincoln  found  forty  thousand  men 
more  than  the  general  had  reported,  and  yet  there  were  seventy-five  thousand 
men  missing.  Orders  were  given  to  remove  this  army  from  the  Peninsula, 
and  concentrate  it  before  Washington,  but  McClellan  was  opposed  to  tiiis 
plan,  and  he  was  slow  to  obey. 

In  the  month  of  August,  1862,  fhe  national  Capitol  was  in  great  danger. 
The  battle  of  Cedar  Mountain  had  been  fought  on  the  9th  of  that  month.  In 
this  fight  the  natioml  troops  were  under  command  of  General  Banks.  Tlicy 
were  driven  '.jack,  but  by  the  timely  reinforcement  of  General  Rickett's  divi- 
sion,  were  able  to  check  the  Confedemte  advance  in  one  of  the  most  desperate 
encounters  of  the  war.  Both  sides  claimed  the  victory.  General  Pope  was 
reinforced  by  Burnside's  army,  and  moved  to  the  Rapidan,  intending  to  hold 
thnt  position  until  the  arrival  of  McClellan,  but  was  driven  back  by  Lee.  The 
Confederate  general  found  that  he  could  not  force  a  passage  in  this  direction, 
and  he  moved  toward  the  mountains  to  outflank  Pope.  This  general  did  his 
best  to  thwart  the  plan  of  Lee,  but  his  army  was  much  weakened,  and 
McClellan  protesting  against  moving  from  the  James  delayed  reinforcements 
from  that  quarter.  Pope,  therefore,  concentrated  his  forces  at  Rappahannock 
Station,  August  23d,  1862,  that  he  might  be  able  to  fall  with  a  superior  force 
upon  the  flanking  army  under  "  Stonewall  "  Jackson.  This  adroit  and  skillful 
general,  with  accustomed  swiftness,  crossed  the  Bull  Run  Mountain  at  Tlior- 
oughfare  Gap,  and  placed  his  large  force  between  Pope  and  W^^shington. 
His  cavalry  swept  as  far  as  Fairfax  Court  House  and  Centerville,  and  his 
main  army  were  at  Manassas,  waiting  for  a  heavy  colunm  under  Longstrcet, 
who  was  advancing.  Pope  moved  with  quickness  to  attack  and  capture  Jack- 
son before  Longstrcet  could  come  up.  But  the  latter  succeeded  in  joining' 
Jackson,  and  Pope,  who  was  now  assured  that  he  need  no  longer  wait  for  re- 
inforcements from  McClellan,  saw  that  he  must  fight.  The  second  battle  at 
Bull  Run  was  fought  with  great  loss  and  defeat  to  the  Union  army,  August 
30th.  Pope  fell  back  to  Centerville,  where  he  was  joined  by  Franklin  and 
Sumner.  Lee  did  not  now  attack  them,  but  made  another  flank  movement  • 
August  31st.     This  resulted  in  a  battle  September  ist,  at  Chantilly  where 


THI«:  STORY  OF  ITS  I'ROGIMrss  AND  GROWTH. 


49' 


Generals  Kearney  and  Stevens  were  killed,  and  tlij  whole  army  driven  within 
the  fortifications  of  Washington. 

The  Confederates  now  had  the  advantage  and  determined  to  follow  it 
up.  The  time  had  come  when  they  could  make  a  formidable  advance  ujion 
Washington,  and  carry  the  war  into  the  land  of  the  enemy.  September  7th, 
Lee  crossed  the  Potomac  with  almost  his  entire  force,  and  marched  into 
Maryland  with  the  belief  that  thousands  of  people  in  that  State  would  join 
his  army  and  fight,  to  rescue  her  from  the  Northern  forces.  In  this  he  was 
sadly  disappointed.  McClellan  with  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  numbering 
90,000,  came  to  the  rescue,  and  the  army  of  Virginia  was  merged  into  it. 
Mc  Clellan  moved  cautiously.  At  the  middle  of  September  his  forces  fought 
and  won  the  battle  of  South  Mountain,  in  which  the  gallant  General  Reno 
was  killed.  Harper's  Ferry  was  captured  by  Lee's  army,  where  Colonel  D. 
H.  Miles,  a  Marylander,  surrendered  nearly  1200  United  States  troops. 

The  crisis  was  coming  and  the  issue  must  be  met  at  Antistam.  The 
Confederates  had  possession  of  the  right  bank  of  the  stream,  and  the  Union 
army  the  left.  The  contest  opened  with  artillery  firii.^  from  the  former. 
McClellan  was  not  ready  to  move  until  noon.  Hooker  crossed  the  Antietam 
and  had  a  successful  fight  on  the  Confederate  left,  and  rested  on  his  arms 
that  night  to  renew  the  fight  in  the  morning.  The  fight  opened  early  the 
next  day,  by  Hooker  charging  on  Lee's  left  again;  Burnside  on  the  right,  was 
doing  good  execution  against  Longstreet.  The  contest  raged  all  day,  and  at 
night  the  Confederate  army  retreated  from  the  scene.  Fourteen  thousand 
fresh  troops  came  to  the  aid  of  McClellan,  and  it  would  seem  as  if  he  might 
have  followed  up  his  advantage,  and  taken  the  Confederates;  but  when  h« 
was  ready  to  move,  thirty-six  hours  later,  Lee's  shattered  and  broken  army 
were  behind  their  own  defenses  on  the  south  side  of  the  Potomac,  whithei 
they  had  hastened  under  cover  of  darkness  the  night  before. 

McClellan  came  to  Harper's  Ferry,  which  he  found  abandoned  by  th*» 
Confederates,  and  ten  days  after  the  battle  of  Antietam,  while  the  North  were 
hourly  expecting  to  hear  that  his  victorious  army  had  pursued  and  overcome 
Lee,  he  coolly  declared  his  intention  to  remain  where  he  was,  and  "  attack 
the  enemy  should  he  attempt  to  re-cross  into  Maryland."  On  October  ist. 
President  Lincoln  instructed  the  Commander  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac 
to  move  at  once  across  the  river ;  but  twenty  days  were  spent  in  corre- 
spondence, during  which  the  beautiful  October  weather,  which  was  favorable 
for  military  movements,  had  passed,  and  Lee's  army  was  resting,  recruiting 


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and  fortifyiiij,'.  Then,  November  2cl,  McClcllan  announced  that  his  whole 
army  were  in  Virginia,  preparetl  to  move  southward,  on  the  east  side  of  t\\,- 
Hlue  Ridjje,  instead  of  pursuing  Lee  on  the  western  side.  The  patience  of 
the  {.jove/nment  and  the  loyal  people  of  the  North  was  exhausted,  and 
McClellan  was  relieved  November  5th,  and  General  A.  E.  Hurnside  was  placed 
in  command.  This  ended  the  military  career  of  Major-General  Geor^je  H. 
McClellan,  the  commander  of  the  army  of  the  I'otomac,  who  was  over-cautious 
and  careful  of  the  lives  of  his  men- 
General  Burnside  reorganized  the  army  and  formed  a  plan  to  capture 
Richmond.  For  this  purpose  he  made  his  base  of  supplies  at  Acquia  Creek, 
4ind  took  position  at  Fredericksburg,  from  which  he  intended  to  advance. 
Hut  before  he  was  prepared  to  cross  the  Rappahannock,  Lee  appeared  with 
an  army  80,000  strong,  on  the  heights  in  the  rear  of  the  city,  and  destroyed 
all  the  bridges  on  the  river.  Burnside  was  obliged  to  cross  upon  pontoon 
bridges.  The  Union  army  advanced  under  a  heavy  fire,  and  a  bloody  battle 
ensued,  which  lasted  from  the  13th  to  the  l6th  of  December.  The  Unionists 
were  defeated  with  great  sloughter.  Lee  took  possession  of  the  city,  and  the 
National  forces  retired  und<'r  cover  of  darkness.  Burnside  was  superseded 
by  General  Joseph  Hooker  January  26th,  1863,  when  the  army  were  in  winter- 
quarters.  We  must  here  leave  them,  while  we  turn  our  attention  to  the  stir 
ring  events  on  the  Mississippi. 

We  left  the  Northern  army  June  ist,  1862,  in  possession  of  the  Missis- 
sippi  below  New  Orleans,  and  from  its  sources  to  Memphis,  Tennessee.  Col- 
onel John  H.  Morgan,  of  Tennessee,  had  organized  an  independent  band  for 
guerilla  warfare,  and  was  overrunning  his  native  State  with  his  horsemen, 
making  long  and  swift  raids  through  the  country  in  all  directions  preparatory 
to  an  invasion  of  Tennessee  and  Kentucky  by  a  Confederate  force.  By  these 
raids  much  damage  was  done  to  private  and  public  property,  and  many 
tributes  were  wrung  from  the  people.  General  E,  Kirby  Smith,  with  a  large 
Confederate  force,  entered  Kentucky  from  East  Tennessee,  and  toward 
Frankfort,  the  capital.  A  desperate  battle  was  fought  August  30th  near 
Richmond,  Kentucky,  in  which  the  Union  army  under  General  Manson 
was  defeated.  The  affrighted  Legislature,  in  session  at  Frankfort,  fled  to 
Louisville.  The  Southern  army  pressed  on  toward  the  Ohio  River,  with  the 
intention  of  crossing  that  stream  and  destroying  the  city  of  Cincinnati.  They 
found  their  way  obstructed  by  strong  fortifications  on  the  south  side  of  the 
river  and  a  force  under  General  Lew  Wallace.     Smith  then  turned  toward 


THE  STORY  OK  ITS  PROGRESS  AND  CROWTIl. 


493 


Frankfort,  captured  the  city,  and  waited  for  General  Hrayjj.  Hra^jjj  crossed 
tlie  Cumberland  River  September  5tli  with  8000  Confederates,  and  September 
14th  the  advance  jjuard  was  repulsed  by  Colonel  T.  J.  Wilder;  but  two  days 
afterward  Colonel  Wilder  was  compelled  to  surrender  to  a  superior  force. 
Thus  far  the  Southern  army  had  h.ul  it  their  own  way,  but  now  there  came  a 
change.  General  Huell  fell  upon  the  combined  armies  of  HrajjtJ  •'"''  Smith  at 
I'erryville,  and  after  a  severe  fi^^ht  drove  the  C'onfederates  from  Kentucky, 
with  severe  loss,  October  8th.  General  Ruell  like  General  McClellan  was  too 
cautious  and  careful.  If  he  had  acted  with  vigor  and  decision,  the  invasion 
of  Smith  and  Hrajjj;  would  have  been  crushed  at  once  by  the  capture  of  the 
entire  force.  As  it  was  it  was  harmful  rather  than  beneficial  to  the  Southern 
cause,  and  Generr.l  Hragjj,  who  was  responsible  for  it,  was  relieved  of  his  com- 
mand by  the  Confederate  government. 

While  all  this  was  going  on  in  Kentucky,  Generals  Van  Dorn  and  Price, 
were  invading  Tennessee  with  another  Confederate  force.  General  Rosecrans 
with  a  small  force  overcame  the  Confederates  in  a  closely  contested  battle  at 
luka  Springs,  September  19th,  The  beaten  army  fled  southward,  and  at  Riply 
were  reinforced,  and  prepared  to  attack  Corinth,  now  held  by  Rosecrans,  and 
in  both  engagements  of  October  2d  and  3d,  the  Southern  army  was  repulsed, 
and  finally  driven  back  to  Riply.  Then  there  came  a  period  of  quiet  in  the 
department  over  which  General  Grant  was  then  in  command. 

In  the  meantime  there  were  important  events  transpiring  on  the  Great 
River.  The  forces  under  Admiral  Farragut,  had  move  ilup  the  river  from 
New  Orleans  and  taken  Baton  Rouge,  the  capital  of  Louisiana,  as  early  as 
May  "th.  Farragut's  vessel  ran  up  to  Vicksburg  and  exchanged  salutations 
with  the  gun-boats  of  Admiral  Davis,  which  came  down  from  Memphis,  June 
29th.  Farragut,  with  the  Hartford  and  other  vessels,  ran  by  the  forts  of 
Vicksburg  and  joined  the  fleet  above.  He  besieged  the  city,  and  attempted 
to  cut  a  canal  across  the  peninsula,  and  avoid  it  altogether,  but  this  failed, 
and  the  fleet  returned  down  the  river.  There  was  an  attack  by  the  Confed- 
erate troops  under  General  Breckenridge,  at  Baton  Rouge.  The  Union 
General  Williams  was  killed,  but  the  assailants  were  repulsed.  The  Confed- 
erate ram,  Arkansas,  was  destroyed  by  the  United  States  gun-boat  Essex, 
Captain  Porter,  commander,  August  6th.  Captain  Porter  went  up  the  river 
to  reconnoitre  and  had  a  sharp  fight  at  Port  Hudson,  September  7th.  A 
large  part  of  Louisiana,  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Mississippi,  was  brought 


3^^; 


*.. : 


t#:-. 


m:''^ 


494 


OUR  NATION; 


under  control  before  the  close  of  the  year.  General  Butler  was  relieved  of 
the  command  of  New  Orleans  by  General  Banks,  December  i6th. 

The  account  of  one  more  battle  will  end  the  record  for  the  year  1862. 
General  Rosecrans  had  taken  the  sadly  demoralized  army  of  the  Cumberland, 
and  thoroughly  reorganized  and  disciplined  it.  It  was  in  the  vicinity  of 
Bowling  Green  when  he  took  command.  Bragg  had  a  large  for:e  at  Stone 
River,  near  Murfreesborough,  and  was  preparing  to  annihilate  the  Union 
army.  A  most  sanguinary  conflict  was  begun  there  on  the  31st  of  Decem- 
ber, and  was  fought  all  day.  At  night  the  Unionists  were  so  completely 
overcome  that  Bragg  expected  that  the)'-  would  see  safety  in  flight  during  the 
darkness,  but  to  his  astonishment  they  were  still  in  his  front,  ready  to  renew 
the  encounter.  The  contest  was  fierce  and  sharp,  and  the  day  seemed  to  be 
irretrievably  lost  to  the  North,  when  a  charge  of  seven  regiments  under  the 
leadership  of  B)-igadier-Geperal  W.  B.  Harzen,  sent  the  Confederate  lines 
flying  in  confusion,  and  won  the  prize  of  victory  from  the  very  teeth  of  defeat. 
Bragg  retreated  to  Chattanooga,  and  Rosecrans  held  possession  of  Murfrees- 
borough. 

Thus  begins  the  year  1863,  with  a  decided  and  a  glorious  victory  for  the 
Nationals  on  the  field  of  battle;  but  there  was  a  moral  victory  also  won  on 
this  Hay,  which  decided  the  fate  <;f  the  country  for  future  generations. 


THE    EMANCIPATION    PROCLAMATION. 

The  National  Government  h;  d  disavowed  any  intention  to  make  war 
upon  slavery  in  the  States  where  it  existed.  The  contest  was  for  the  siipiem 
acy  of  the  Nation,  and  the  enforceme.it  of  its  laws  and  Constitution.  There 
came  a  mighty  revolution  of  feeling  among  those  in  the  North,  who  had  sym- 
pathized with  tho  peculiar  institution  of  the  South.  They  came  to  see  that 
'his  institution  was  the  fundamental  cause  of  the  insurrection,  and  at  the 
same  time  a  means  of  prolonging  the  strife.  The  negroes  could  plant,  gather 
th<^  crops,  and  attend  to  domestic  affairs,  while  the  white  men  were  doin^^ 
iMihtary  duty.  The  course  of  many  of  the  Northern  generals  in  returning; 
ci   ;  fugitive  slaves  who  came  into  their  lines,  was  very  unpopular. 

The  Republican  party  in  Congress  v,as  pressing  upon  the  attention  of 
President  Lincoln  the  importance  of  emancipating  the  slaves  held  by  those 
who  were  fighting  the  nat'\)nal  government.  Congress  had  abolished  slavery 
in  the  District  of  Columbia,  and  on  the  22d  of  September,  Abrah;MTi  Lincoln 
on  the  authority  of  Congress,  issued  a  preliminary  proclamation,  in  which  he 


as  relieved  of 
h. 

he  year  1862. 
:  Cumberland, 
le  vicinity  of 
5r:e  at  Stone 
te  the  Union 
[st  of  Deceni- 
50  completely 
jht  during  the 
;ady  to  renew 
seemed  to  be 
nts  under  the 
federate  lines 
ceth  of  defeat. 
1  of  Murfrecs- 

/ictory  for  the 
y  also  won  on 
ations. 


to  make  war 
■)r  the  suprem- 
ution.  There 
who  had  syni- 
iie  to  sec  that 
n,  and  at  the 

plant,  gather 
n   were  doing 

in  returning 
|xr. 

L'  attention  of 
held  by  those 
)lished  slavery 
al';<m  Lincoln 
1,  in  which  he 


THE  STORY  OF  ITS  PROGRESS  AND  GROWTH. 


495 


declared  his  purpose  to  issue  a  Proclamation  of  Emancipation  on  the  first  day 
of  January,  1863,  forever  setting  free  the  slaves  of  all  men  found  that  day  in 
open  rebellion  against  the  United  States.  The  Confederates  sneered  at  this, 
and  their  Northern  sympathizers,  of  whom  there  were  s  ae  still  remaining, 
called  it  a  "  Pope's  Bull  against  a  Comet." 

The  war  went  on,  as  we  have  seen,  prosecuted  with  vigor  on  both  sides. 
The  dawn  of  the  New  Year  came,  and  "The  Emancipation  Proclama- 
tion "  was  issued  under  the  seal  of  the  United  States.  The  friends  of  free- 
dom hailed  it  all  over  the  world  as  the  harbinger  of  success  to  the  North.  At 
once  the  fetters  were  stricken  from  over  three  millions  of  human  beings,  and 
tliey  were  free  before  the  law  to  enter  the  union  lines,  and  as  fast  as  new 
territory  in  the  South  was  occupied  by  Union  arms  they  were  set  at  liberty. 
It  was  a  severe  blow  to  the  South,  and  took  away  their  hope,  but  it  allied  all 
the  real  friends  of  human  liberty  in  the  world  to  the  cause  of  the  Union. 
While  the  North  was  engaged  in  this  work,  the  Confederacy  was  engaged  in 
extensive  preparations  to  destroy  the  commerce  and  the  power  of  the  nation. 
Privateers,  built  in  British  shipyards,  equipped  with  British  guns  and  seamen, 
and  fitted  out  in  British  waters,  were  sent  to  prey  upon  American  commerce, 
w  ith  the  "  stars  and  bars  "  flying  at  their  peak.  When  the  people  of  New 
York  heard  the  cry  of  the  starving  operatives  at  Manchester,  England,  whose 
supply  of  cotton  had  been  cut  off  by  the  blockade  of  the  South,  they  sent  a 
sLp-load  of  provisions  to  aid  them.  This  vessel,  laden  with  the  voluntary 
bounty  of  America  to  the  starving  citizens  of  England,  was  guarded  upon  her 
voyage  by  an  armed  government  vessel  to  preserve  her  from  the  piratical 
torch,  lighted  by  British  hands. 

The  course  of  Great  Britain,  during  all  the  period  of  the  Civil  War  uv 
America,  was  a  peculiarly  inconsistent  one.  With  the  proud  boast  that  no  slave 
coula  live  under  her  flag,  she  hastened  to  recognize  the  belligerent  rights  of 
the  "  Confederate  States,"  then  holding  millions  of  human  beings  in  bondage, 
gave  the  moral  aid  of  her  indifference  and  apathy  if  not  support  to  acts  of 
illegality,  and  stultified  herself  in  regard  to  her  national  policy  of  eighty  years 
un  the  question  of  neutrality;  she  gave  a  ready  market  to  the  bonds  of  the 
"Confederate  States,"  and  sheltered  and  abetted  the  enemies  of  a  country 
with  which  she  was  at  peace,  and  furnished  ships,  munitions  of  war,  and  men 
to  fight  against  the  same  country.  All  this  for  the  sake  of  aiding  a  cause 
avowedly  resting  upon  slavery  as  its  chief  cornerstone,  for  her  supposed 
commercial  advantage. 


*  !:> 


496 


OUR  NATION: 


The  Confederate  privateer  Alabavia,  the  principal  one  of  the  craft  fitted 
out  by  the  British,  committed  fearful  depredations  on  American  commerce 
during  the  last  ninety  days  of  the  year  1862. 


f. 


h','-^. 


\ 


'  > 


THE   MILITARY  OPERATIONS   OF   1863. 

We  will  open  the  account  of  the  year  with  the  operations  on  the  Missis- 
sippi. A  portion  of  this  great  river  was  still  in  the  hands  of  the  Confederates, 
from  Vicksburg  to  Port  Hudson.  The  Confederates  had  erected  strong  for- 
tifications at  the  latter  place,  a  distance  of  twenty-five  miles  from  Baton 
Rouge.  Grant  had  a  large  amount  of  supplies  at  Holly  Springs,  which, 
owing  to  the  carelessness  or  something  worse  of  the  commandant  there,  fell 
into  the  hands  of  the  Confederates  December  20th.  Grant  was  forced  to  fall 
back,  and  thus  a  large  force  of  Confederates  was  able  to  come  to  Vicksburij. 
Sherman  had  planned  to  attack  the  city  in  the  rear,  but  in  an  engagement  on 
the  Chickasaw  Bayou  was  defeated  with  great  loss  December  28th,  1862.  He 
was  compelled  to  abandon  that  enterprise,  and  January  2d,  1863,  he  was 
superseded  by  General  McClernand,  who  out-ranked  him.  About  the  middle 
of  January  the  Confederate  fort  at  Ark?  ""sas  Post  was  captured  and  many 
supplies  destroyed.  Grant  had  come  down  the  river  from  Memphis,  ant! 
Vicksburg  was  placed  under  siege.  The  army  was  organized  into  four  corps, 
and  after  a  series  of  movements,  which  would  in  themselves  fill  a  volume,  he 
finally  struck  upon  a  plan  which  he  followed  to  the  end.  Some  of  the  naval 
fleet  ran  down  by  Vicksburg  to  destroy  the  Confederate  fleet  below,  but  were 
themselves  taken  and  destroyed.  A  strong  force  went  down  the  west  bank 
of  the  river  in  command  of  Generals  McClernand  and  McPherson,  in  the 
direction  of  New  Carthage.  Porter  determined  to  run  by  the  batteries  at 
Vicksburg,  and  succeeded  in  doing  so  with  most  of  his  fleet  and  transports 
on  the  i6th  of  April.  On  the  22d  si.x  transports  accomplished  the  same  feat, 
and  now  Grant  prepared  for  a  vigorous  attack  upon  the  flank  and  rear  of  tlie 
city.  A  most  wonderful  cavalry  raid  under  Colonel  Grierson  through  tlie 
very  heart  of  Mississippi  had  assured  Grant  that  the  bulk  of  the  Southern 
army  of  that  region  was  in  Vicksburg. 

Porter  attacked  and  again  ran  by  the  batteries  of  Vicksburg  April  29th, 
and  on  May  1st  Grant's  troops  gained  a  victory  at  Port  Gibson.  Sherman 
joined  the  Union  army  May  8th.  The  Confederates  were  defeated  near  Ray 
mond.  May  12th,  and  again  at  Jackson   May  14th.     The  Confederates  were 


THE  STORY  OF  ITS  PROGRESS  AND  GROWTH. 


497 


driven  northward  and  another  victory  was  gained  for  the  Union  army  at 
Champion  Mills.  On  the  i6th  and  17th  Grant  drove  them  from  Big  Black 
River,  and  on  the  19th  he  had  ^he  whole  Confederate  army  penned  up  at 
Vicksburg.  He  had  lived  off  the  enemy's  country  for  two  weeks,  in  which 
time  his  army  had  gained  repeated  victories.  The  very  day  on  which  he 
arrived  before  Vicksburg  Grant  made  an  assault,  but  was  repulsed.  This 
he  followed  up  with  another  unsuccessful  attempt  on  the  22d.  Then  he 
settled  down  to  a  regular  siege  of  the  city,  for  forty  days,  pouring  shot  and 
shell  into  the  beleaguered  town  day  and  night.  The  citizens  were  safe  only 
in  caves  which  they  dug  in  the  banks  of  the  hills  with  which  the  city  abounds. 
The  army  and  people  were  reduced  to  the  verge  of  starvation  and  were  in 
great  distress.  They  were  driven  to  the  necessity  of  eating  mule  meat. 
Fourteen  ounces  of  food  for  two  days  was  the  extent  of  the  ration  issued. 
General  Pcmberton,  the  Confederate  Commander-in-chief  at  Vicksburg,  gave 
up  all  hope  of  being  relieved  by  Johnston,  who  he  thought  would  strike 
in  Grant's  rear,  and  on  the  morning  of  July  3d  he  sent  proposals  to  surrender. 
The  formal  surrender  was  made  on  the  fourth  of  July,  and  there  was  great 
rejoicing,  for  on  the  same  day  another  hard-fought  battle  was  won  in  the 
East.  Twenty-seven  thousand  stand  of  arms  were  taken  and  the  strongest 
fortified  post  on  the  Mississippi  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Unionists. 

Port  Hudson,  which  had  been  bravely  besieged  by  General  Banks  for 
forty  days,  surrendered  on  the  9th. 

We  will  recount  the  doings  of  Banks  in  the  Lower  Mississippi  Gulf 
region  prior  to  this.  He  had  sent  troops  to  the  support  of  the  Union  forces 
at  Galveston,  Texas,  but  the  Confederate  General  Magruder  had  repulsed 
them  and  retaken  the  city.  This  was  a  barren  victory  to  the  Confederates? 
for  Admiral  Farragut  maintained  a  strict  blockade  over  that  port.  After  this 
a  land  and  naval  force  was  sent  into  the  Teche  region,  and  made  a  successful 
cxjjcdition  to  repossess  the  western  part  of  Louisiana.  An  expedition  up  the 
Red  River  under  Banks  penetrated  the  country  as  far  as  Alexandria,  where 
the  general  proclaimed  that  all  Southern  and  Western  Louisiana  was  free 
from  Confederate  rule.  With  this  impression  he  led  his  troops  to  Port 
Hudson  and  invested  that  point.  He  made  an  assault  on  this  fortress  on 
May  29th,  but  was  "repulsed  with  much  loss.  The  siege  went  on  for  forty 
days,  and  after  Vicksburg  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Unionists,  the  Confeder- 
ates saw  that  it  would  be  useless  to  try  to  hold  out  longer  and  capitulated. 
Now  the  river  was  open  to  the  sea,  and  the  Confederacy  was  severed  in  two. 


i"'i 


*!   .    ' 


I   I 


498 


OUR  NATION: 


I'i-Jrvv  .(' 


^  I 


'.?).,« 


parts.     The  blow  was  a  severe  one,  and  the  wiser  men  of  the  Confederacy 
saw  that  their  cause  was  hopeless  from  this  point  in  the  contest. 

We  left  the  army  of  the  Potomac  in  winter-quarters  at  the  opening  of  the 
year,  Major-General  Joseph  Hooker  in  command.  There  followed  a  period 
of  three  months  in  which  he  was  busily  engaged  in  re-organizing  that  army. 
A  large  number  of  officers  and  men  were  absent  from  their  regiments.  There- 
were  officers  who  were  opposed  to  the  Government's  policy  on  the  question 
of  slavery,  and  many  were  crying  out  it  is  a  "  war  for  the  negro  "  and  not  a 
"  war  for  the  union."  These  men  were  removed,  and  their  places  were  filled 
by  energetic  men  in  full  sympathy  with  the  administration.  Order  and  disci- 
pline  became  thoroughly  established,  and  Hooker  had  over  one  hundred 
thousand  available  troops  on  the  first  day  of  April.  The  period  of  rest  and 
reformation  of  the  army  had  done  much  to  add  to  its  tone  and  strength. 
During  this  same  time  General  Lee  had  been  engaged  in  strengthening  the 
army  of  Northern  Virginia.  A  rigid  conscription  act  had  been  enforced  and 
all  the  available  men  were  hurried  into  the  ranks.  He  had  made  the  defenses 
of  Richmond  aln.ost  impregnable,  and  with  wonderful  energy  and  skill  had 
put  his  army  into  the  best  condition  for  the  coming  struggle.  In  April,  Lee 
had  a  well-organized  and  enthusiastic  army  of  more  than  sixty  thousand  men. 
A  part  of  his  army  under  Longstreet  were  in  South-eastern  Virginia,  but  Lee 
■was  behind  the  strong  fortifications  and  able  to  cope  with  a  much  superior 
force. 

Early  in  April  Hooker  determined  to  make  an  advance  upon  Richmond. 
He  threw  a  mounted  force  of  ten  thousand  men  in  the  rear  of  Lee's  army, 
and  moved  with  another  large  force  to  Chancellorsville,  within  ten  miles  of 
Fredericksburg.  The  left  wing  of  Hooker's  army,  consisting  of  the  First, 
Third,  and  Sixth  Corps,  was  near  Fredericksburg,  under  General  Sedgwick, 
and  by  their  demon.stration  on  the  Confederate  front  so  completely  deceived 
General  Lee  that  Hooker  was  well  on  the  way  before  Lee  was  aware  of  his 
real  design.  But  Lee  did  not  turn  back  to  Richmond,  as  Hooker  thought  he 
would  when  he  discovered  his  peril,  but  pushed  the  column  of  Stonewall 
Jackson  forward,  and  compelled  Hooker  to  fight  at  Chancellorsville,  with  his 
army  divided.  There  was  great  peril  for  both  armies.  The  bloody  battle  of 
Chancellorsville  was  fought  the  1st  and  2d  of  May,  and  resulted  in  a  bitter 
defeat  for  the  Union  army.  The  struggle  was  .severe  and  sanguinary,  and 
Hooker's  army  was  driven  back  on  the  road  leading  to  the  Rapidan  and  the 
Rappahannock.     Lee's  forces  were  united,  but  Hooker's  were  divided.     Sedg- 


THE  STORY  OF  ITS  PROGRESS  AND  GROWTH. 


499 


wick,  near  Fredericksburg,  was  in  danger  and  could  not  come  to  Hooker's 
aid.  When  he  received  the  orders  of  his  chief,  he  moved  at  once  and  took 
possession  of  Fredericksburg — stormed  the  heights,  and  drove  General  Early 
back,  May  3d.  He  then  moved  on  to  join  Hooker's  main  body,  but  was 
checked  at  Salem  Church,  a  few  miles  from  Fredericksburg,  by  the  whole  of 
Lee's  army.  Now,  instead  of  being  able  to  join  Hooker,  he  was  driven  across 
the  Rappahannock  May  4th  and  5th.  Hooker,  hearing  of  the  disaster  to 
Sedgwick,  was  obliged  to  also  retreat  across  the  river.  The  Union  forces 
united  and  fell  back  on  May  5th.  The  whole  movement  had  resulted  in  a 
severe  loss  to  the  Union  army,  and  a  decided  victory  to  the  Confederates. 
Longstreet  had  made  a  spirited  and  vigorous  attack  upon  General  Peck,  but 
had  been  repulsed  at  Suffolk  at  the  head  of  the  Nansemond  River,  in  south- 
eastern Virginia.  Longstreet,  hearing  of  the  disaster  at  Chancellorsville, 
joined  Lee  and  made  his  army  as  strong  as  that  of  the  Nationals.  The 
Union  army  had  been  out-generaled  once  more,  and  the  skill  and  energy  of 
the  Confederate  commander  had  won  the  day. 

Under  the  impression  that  there  was  still  a  large  body  of  people  in  the 
North  who  would  manifest  active  sympathy  with  the  Confederates  if  they  had 
the  opportunity  to  do  so,  and  highly  elated  by  their  successes  at  Chancellors- 
ville, the  Confederate  authorities  ordered  Lee  to  prepare  for  another  for- 
midable invasion  of  Maryland  and  Pennsylvania.  But  they  misunderstood 
the  temper  and  the  resources  of  the  North.  Hooker  suspected  this  design, 
and  reported  his  convictions  to  the  government  at  Washington.  The  term  of 
enlistment  of  a  large  number  of  troops  that  had  volunteered  for  nine  months 
had  expired,  and  Hooker's  army  was  being  weakened  by  their  discharge,  but 
other  recruits  for  three  years  or  during  the  war  were  coming  in. 

By  a  flank  movement  Lee  compelled  Hooker  to  break  up  his  camp  on 
the  Rappahannock  and  move  toward  Washington.  Lee  at  the  same  time  sent 
his  left  wing  up  the  Shenandoah,  and  a  battle  was  fought  at  Winchester,  in 
vhich  General  Milroy  was  driven  back  and  the  Union  forces  suffered  severe 
loss,  but  escaped  into  Maryland  and  Pennsylvania  with  their  supply  and  am- 
munition trains.  A  large  cavalry  force  pursued  Milroy  into  Pennsylvania, 
and  destroyed  the  .railroad  up  the  Cumberland  Valley  to  Chambersburg,  in 
Pennsylvania,  plundering  the  people  all  along  the  march.  The  Confederate 
army  was  upon  Northern  soil  on  June  25th.  Hooker  had  been  vigilant  and 
active  in  the  meanwhile,  and  crossed  the  Potomac  at  Edwards'  Ferry.  A 
disagreement  arose  between  General    Hooker  and   General    Halleck — then 


r.-i., 


500 


OUR  NATION; 


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V-r. 


Commander-in-chief — and  Hooker  resigned.  General  George  G.  Meade  was 
placed  in  command  of  the  army  of  the  Potomac  June  28th,  and  retained  it  to 
the  close  of  the  war. 

At  this  time  the  Union  army  were  in  Frederick,  Maryland,  ready  to  cut 
off  Lee's  line  of  communication,  fall  upon  his  columns  in  retreat,  or  follow 
him  on  a  parallel  line  toward  the  Susquehanna  River.  Lee  was  then  prepar- 
ing to  march  on  to  Philadelphia,  but  learning  of  the  danger  which  threatened 
his  flank  and  rear  he  recalled  Ewell,  who  was  within  a  few  miles  of  Harris- 
burg.  The  rapid  gathering  of  the  militia  of  Pennsylvania  and  surrounding 
States  alarmed  him,  and  Lee,  therefore,  concentrated  all  the  army  of  Northern 
Virginia  in  the  vicinity  of  Gettysburg.  He  did  this  for  the  purpose  of  fallin^r 
upon  the  army  of  the  Potomac  with  crushing  force,  and  then  march  upon 
Baltimore  or  Washington,  or,  in  case  of  defeat,  have  a  line  of  retreat  to  the 
Potomac  River.  General  Meade  did  not  comprehend  this  design  of  Lee  until 
June  30th,  and  then  at  once  he  prepared  to  meet  the  shock  of  battle  on  a  line 
a  little  south  of  Gettysburg.  This  was  the  pivotal  battle  of  the  war,  and 
deserves  more  than  a  passing  notice. 

The  Confederates  had  invaded  a  Northern  State,  and  were  now  to  i^cet 
the  Union  army  on  its  own  soil.  The  great  cities  of  the  North  were  threat- 
ened. The  Southern  army  had  touched  its  highest  point,  and  upon  this  issue 
the  fortunes  of  the  country  hung.  A  new  general  had  assumed  the  commaml 
of  an  army  with  which  he  was  unacquainted  two  days  before  the  contest  was 
commenced.  Meade  hiid  an  oft-defeated  army  of  from  ;:ixty  to  seventy 
thousand  men  with  which  to  meet  the  seventy-five  thousand  victorious  troops 
of  Lee.  MeClellan,  Burnsideand  Hooker  had  measured  ability  with  this  adroit 
and  self-possessed  chieftain,  and  been  worsted  again  and  again.  It  seemed 
a  hopeless  task,  but  Meade  was  calm,  quiet,  resolute,  brave,  and  unpretend- 
ing. He  set  himself  about  the  task  assigned  him,  and  he  accomplished  it  by 
the  loyal  co-operation  of  his  brave  corps  commanders,  and  the  persistency  of 
the  noble  rank  and  file  who  were  determined  to  conquer  or  die.  Thousands 
of  men  who  had  hitherto  excused  themselves  from  active  military  service  in 
the  field  arose  to  arms,  and  ofifered  themselves  for  immediate  service,  when 
the  field  of  battle  was  changed  from  Southern  to  Northern  soil.  The  Union 
cavalry  under  General  Kilpatrick  had  met  and  defeated  a  force  under  G'^neral 
Stuart,  at  Hanover,  a  town  cast  of  Gettysburg,  June  "jgth;  and  on  the  same 
day  Buford  and  his  horsemen  entered  Gettysburg,  but  found  no  Confederates 
there.     On  the  30th,  General  J.  F.  Reynolds,  the  brave  commander  of  the 


THE  STORY  OF  ITS  PROGRESS  AND  GROWTH. 


501 


Fii3t  Corps,  who  fell  on  the  field  of  battle  the  next  day,  arrived  with  his 
froops. 

General  Hill  of  the  Confederate  army  was  approaching  with  a  large  force 
from  Chambersburg,  which  encountered  Buford's  cavalry  in  the  early  morning 
of  July  1st.  Tiie  sound  of  a  sharp  skirmish  brought  Reynolds  to  the  field, 
jMid  a  severe  engagement  ensued  on  Oak  or  Seminary  Ridge,  in  which  the 
gallant  Reynolds  fell  dead.  General  O.  O.  Howard  with  the  Eleventh  Corps 
came  up  and  the  battle  became  more  general,  for  Lef  was  concentrating  his 
forces  thcro.  The  Union  army  resisted  the  attack,  and  held  their  ground 
bravely  as  charge  afcer  charge  was  made  upon  their  lines,  but  at  night  they 
were  pressed  back  to  a  more  advantageous  position  selected  by  General  W. 
S.  Hancock,  the  intrepid  and  beloved  commander  of  the  Second  Corps.  This 
position  was  on  a  range  of  rocky  hills  back  of  but  close  to  the  village.  The 
line  was  form.ed  on  the  two  sides  of  a  triangle,  with  Cemetery  Hill,  the  point 
nearest  the  town,  forming  the  angle.  Here  the  troops  baited  for  the  night, 
and  threw  up  a  breastwork  of  defense.  General  Meade  with  the  main  body 
of  the  army  hastened  up  to  join  the  forces  who  had  sustained  the  brunt  of 
the  first  day's  fight. 

The  next  day  the  forces  were  fac  ag  each  other  on  what  was  to  prove  the 
most  hotly  contested  battle  field  of  the  war.  Each  commander  understood 
the  immense  value  of  the  prize  at  stake,  and  seemed  loth  to  make  the  first 
move  in  the  decisive  contest.  Not  until  late  in  the  afternoon  of  July  2d  did 
the  carnage  open.  General  Lee  then  precipitated  his  solid  columns  upon 
Meade's  left,  commanded  by  General  Sickles,  and  the  fearful  harvest  of  death 
began.  This  extended  to  the  centre,  commanded  by  Hancock,  and  the  heavy 
masses  of  armed  men  rolled  up  to  his  line  to  be  driven  back,  like  the  waves 
of  the  sea  from  a  rock-bound  coast.  Huge  furrows  were  plowed  through  the 
soli*.'  ranks  of  men  by  the  shot  and  shell  that  swept  them  from  the  Union 
artillery,  and  yet  they  would  re-form  and  march  up  again  to  be  swept  back 
by  the  awful  whirlwind  of  slaughter  that  opposed  them.  At  sunset  the  battle 
ceased  on  this  side  of  the  triangle.  The  rocky  eminence  called  Little  Round 
Top  had  been  the  centre  of  the  most  determined  struggle,  and  the  Confed- 
erates endeavored  to  take  it  at  any  cost  so  that  t.iey  could  hurl  the  left  wing 
back  on  the  centre.  But  the  brave  troops  stationed  there  were  as  firm  as  the 
impenetrable  granite,  and  held  the  position.  The  right  and  right  centre 
were  commanded  by  generals  Slocum  and  Howard.  The  latter  occupied 
Cemetery  Hill,  and  the  former  Gulps  Hill.     Early  and  Johnson,  of  General 


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502 


OUR  NATION; 


Evvell's  corps  of  the  Confederate  army,  fell  with  great  vigor  upon  these  points, 
and  seemed  determined  to  carry  tliem  at  all  hazards.  They  were  repulsed 
with  great  slaughter  from  the  right  centre  or  Cemetery  Hill,  but  succeeded 
in  turning  the  right  wing,  and  holding  it  for  the  night.  This  struggle  ended 
at  ten  o'clock  at  night.  This  day's  fight  had  resulted  in  some  advantage  to 
the  Confederates.  Lee  was  sanguine  that  ai.other  day  would  bring  a  complete 
victory  for  the  Confederate  cause.  That  was  an  anxious  night  in  many  a 
Northern  home,  as  millions  of  sleepless  men  and  women  were  reading  the 
swiftly  flying  news  of  the  deadly  encounter. 

The  loss  of  Lee  had  been  considerable,  but  the  Union  line  was  weakened, 
and  an  attack  in  the  morning  would  sweep  it  from  the  fieid  he  thought. 
This  was  the  hour  of  deepest  gloom  to  the  Union  cause,  and  not  a  man  from 
the  Commander-in-chief  down  to  the  humblest  private  in  the  ranks  but  knew 
it.  A  million  of  brave  men  throughout  the  country  were  in  arms,  but  the 
course  of  Lee's  northward  march  could  not  be  prevented  if  he  won  this 
decisive  battle  field.  At  four  the  next  morning  General  Slocum  advanced 
and  re-occupied  the  ground  he  had  'ost  the  night  before.  Meade  strength- 
ened his  weakened  lines.  A  hard  fight  of  four  hours  was  necessary  to  retrivc 
the  old  position,  and  hold  the  persistent  columns  of  Ewell  in  check.  The 
Union  left  and  left  centre  were  impregnable,  and  Lee  prepared  to  fall  with 
crushing  effect  upon  the  weaker  right.  The  entire  forenoon  was  passed  bj- 
the  opposing  generals  in  making  preparation  for  the  fearful  death  grapple. 
At  one  o'clock  the  artillery  from  Lee's  army  opened  upon  Howard's  front. 
The  challenge  was  answered  by  the  Union  army.  The  country  for  miles 
around  was  shaken  by  the  thunder  of  over  two  hundred  heavy  guns.  For 
three  hours  the  awful  duel  was  kept  up,  sending  death  and  carnage  to  either 
side.  Then  Lee,  under  the  cover  of  this  heavy  cannonading,  precipitated  his 
solid  columns  which  were  to  break  the  Federal  line  and  gain  the  day.  They 
swept  over  the  plain,  and  with  the  fearful  yell  of  battle,  attacked  the  breast- 
"works,  only  to  be  swept  down  by  the  grape  and  canister,  belching  forth  from 
a  hundred  cannons.  The  ranks  fell  as  grass  before  the  mower's  scythe;  but 
on  and  on  the  gathering  columns  pressed,  and  the  harvest  of  death  ceased  not 
till  the  sun  went  down.  As  men  fell  in  the  bloody  contest  their  places  were 
filled  by  those  who  pressed  on  after  them,  and  brave  men  contended  hand  to 
hand.  At  one  time  Lee,  who,  like  Napoleon  at  Waterloo,  was  watching  the 
battle  from  a  hill-top,  saw  through  the  lifting  battle-cloud  the  Confederate  flag 
waving  on  the  Union  ramparts  at  a  certain  point.    His  generals  congratulated 


THE  STORY  OF  ITS  PROGRESS  AND  GROWTH. 


503 


him  on  a  ^  ictory ;  but  he  looks  as  another  dense  cloud  of  smoke  lifts,  and  his 
men  are  seen  broken  ;ind  fleeing  down  the  fatal  hill-side,  where  dead  men 
cover  the  ground  so  thick  that  the  retreating  army  tread  upon  them  at  every 
step.  This  last  attack  has  failed  and  the  Nationals  have  won  THE  BATTLE 
oK  Gettysburg. 

Lee  began  his  hasty  retreat  on  the  fourth  of  July,  and  Meade,  with  his 
victorious  but  exhausted  army,  followed  him  in  hot  pursuit  to  the  Potomac, 
where  by  fortifications  and  a  show  of  force,  Lee  was  able  to  hold  the 
Nationals  at  bay  until  he  had  got  his  army  and  artillery  safely  across  the 
river  into  Virginia.  This  was  the  last  Confederate  advance  into  the  territory 
of  the  Northern  States. 

The  National  Government  now  resolved  to  make  one  grand  effort  to  sup- 
press tne  Confederacy.  A  call  for  men  to  fill  up  the  army  not  meeting  with 
so  ready  a  response  as  the  circumstances  required,  a  draft  was  made  upon 
able-bodied  men  between  eighteen  and  forty-five.  This  gave  rise  to  much 
dissatisfaction  among  the  Peace  F'action,  and  was  the  occasion  of  fearful  riots 
ill  New  York,  and  great  destruction  of  life  and  property.  These  riots  were 
put  down  by  the  police,  aided  by  troops,  and  the  draft  went  on. 

After  his  de'  oi:  at  Gettysburg,  Lee  moved  up  the  Shenandoah  Valley, 
f  )l!owed  by  Meade,  in  a  parallel  line  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  Blue  Ridge,  as 
McClellan  had  done  in  the  opposite  direction  the  previous  year.  There  were 
skirmishes  in  the  mountain  passes.  Lee  gained  a  position  in  front  of  Meade 
between  the  Rappahannock  and  Rapid  Anna  Rivers.  At  the  middle  of  Sep- 
tember Meade  crossed  the  Rappahannock  and  '..ove  Lee  behind  the  Rapid 
Anna.  There  had  been  sharp  cavalry  skirmishes  here  and  there  whilst  the 
two  armies  were  resting.  Finally,  in  October,  Lee  started  for  Washington, 
when  another  exciting  race  occurred  between  him  and  Meade.  After  a  sharp 
b'lttle  at  Bristow's  Station,  Meade  drove  Lee  back  to  a  strong  position  behind 
the  Rapid  Anna,  and  the  National  Army  went  into  winter  quarters. 

In  the  State  of  Tennessee  there  were  some  startling  events  during  the 
summer  and  fall  of  1863.  In  June,  Rosecrans  ordered  an  advance  of  his  army 
in  three  divisions  under  Generals  Thomas.  McCook  and  Crittenden.  The 
point  to  be  reached  from  Murfreesborough  was  Chattanooga.  On  June  30th 
Hragg,  who  saw  the  design  of  Rosecrans,  fled  before  him  and  passed  over  the 
Cumberland  Mountains.  Rosecrans  followed  hard  after  him.  Bragg  reached 
the  Tennessee  River,  and  crossed  it  at  Bridgeport,  destroyed  the  bridges 
behind  him  and  then  hastened  to  Chattanooga.     Rosecrans  pursued  Br.tgg  as 


I      \ 


'.   ^ 


1  4 


504 


OUR  NATION 


.!■ ';. 


I  ! 


far  as  the  base  of  the  mountains;  here  he  halted  and  rested  for  a  whole 
month.  At  the  middle  of  August  he  surprised  Bragg  by  appearing  on  his 
front,  with  a  line  extending  along  the  Tennessee  River  from  above  C'hatta- 
nooga,  westward  for  a  hundred  miles,  and  poured  shot  and  sheU  into  the 
Confederate  camp. 

Early  in  September,  Thomas  and  McCook  had  crossed  ihe  rcnncssco 
River,  and  by  the  8th  had  secured  the  passes  of  Lookout  Mountain,  wliilo 
Crittenden  was  in  Lookout  Valley,  near  the  river.  When  Bragg  was  informed 
of  this,  he  abandoned  Chattanooga  to  defend  his  line  of  communication,  aiul 
Crittenden  moved  his  forces  into  the  Chattanooga  Valley.  Thus  without  a 
battle  the  object  of  crossing  the  mountains  was  gained.  Bragg  had  Hllii 
driven  from  Middle  Tennessee,  and  from  his  stronghold.  Burnside  crossed 
the  mountains  into  East  Tennessee  with  twenty  thousand  troops,  and  joined 
Rosecrans  on  the  line  of  the  railroad  south-westerly  from  Loudon. 

Rosecrans  thought  Bragg  was  in  full  retreat  and  pushed  forward  to  strike 
his  flank,  but  found  him  concentrated  at  Lafayette.  About  the  middle  of 
September  the  two  armies  were  face  to  face  on  the  Chickamauga  Creek.  A 
battle  ensued  and  the  Confederates  won  the  closely  contested  field  at  a  fear- 
ful loss  to  themselves.  Chattanooga  was  held  by  the  Nationals,  but  they  were 
hemmed  in  by  Bragg  and  his  army.  The  Government  decided  to  hold  this 
point,  and  ordered  Generals  Grant,  Burnside  and  Rosecrans  to  concentrate 
there.  The  Nationals  were  now  threatened  with  famine,  but  General  Hooker 
was  sent  from  the  army  of  the  Potomac  with  the  Eleventh  and  Twelfth 
Corps,  Howard's  and  Slocum's,  to  hold  the  line  of  communication  for  Rose- 
crans. So  the  attempt  of  Bragg  to  starve  out  the  Nationals  in  Chattanooga 
failed.  The  Confederates  had  possession  of  Lookout  Mountain,  and  swept 
down  upon  the  Twelfth  Corps  October  28th-29th  at  midnight,  but  found  the 
general  upon  the  watch  and  they  were  repulsed.  In  the  mean  time  Long- 
street  had  been  sent  into  Tennessee  to  seize  Knoxville  and  drive  out  the 
army  of  Burnside.  He  came  swiftly  and  secretly,  and  Burnside  was  closely 
besieged  in  a  fortification  near  that  city. 

Grant  saw  that  he  must  attack  Bragg  at  once  upon  the  arrival  of  Sher- 
man's troops.  Grant  was  determined  to  strike  the  centre  of  Bragg's  army 
on  Missionaries'  Ridge  and  his  right  on  Lookout  Mountain.  Thomas  advanced 
to  Orchard  Knob,  and  fortified  it  November  23d,  Hooker  carried  the  works  at 
the  base  of  Lookout  Mountain,  and  his  victorious  troops  pressed  up  the  sides 
of  the  lofty  eminence,  which  was  hidden   from  sight  by  a  heavy  fog,  and 


Till-:  STORY  OF  ITS  TROGRESS  AND  GROWTH. 


505 


fought  above  the  clouds.  The  Union  tirmies  in  the  valley  below  heard  the 
cannonading  and  the  shout  of  the  charge,  but  could  not  see  anything  of 
what  was  being  done  until  the  fog  cleared  up,  and  showed  Hooker  in  posses- 
sion of  the  mountain  top. 

While  Hooker  was  fighting  above  the  clouds  Sherman  had  successfully 
performed  his  part  in  the  plan  and  secured  a  strong  position  on  Missionaries' 
Ridge.  !n  the  night  of  November  24th  Hragg  retired  from  Lookout  Moun- 
tain and  concentrated  all  his  forces  on  Missionaries'  Ridge.  The  severe  and 
desperate  encounter  of  the  25th  raged  all  day— Sherman,  Thomas  and 
Hooker  all  taking  part,  and  at  night  the  fires  of  the  National  army  lighted  up 
the  whole  length  of  Missionaries'  Ridge  and  Bragg  was  in  full  retreat.  Sher- 
man advanced  to  the  relief  of  Burnside  at  Knoxvillc,  and  Longstreet  was 
compelled  to  raise  the  siege  December  3d,  and  return  to  the  army  of  Virginia. 
Sherman  returned  to  Chattanooga  and  Burnside  was  left  at  Knoxville.  So 
great  was  the  rejoicing  at  these  victories  that  President  Lincoln  proclaimed 
a  day  of  thanksgiving  and  praise,  as  he  had  done  after  the  Union  victory  at 
Vicksburg  and  Gettysburg. 

There  were  military  operations  of  some  little  account  in  North  Carolina 
during  the  year,  where  General  D.  H.  Hill  had  been  sent  by  order  of  General 
Lee  to  harass  the  National  troops,  but  the  Union  forces  held  the  advantage 
gained  and  the  State  did  not  pass  from  their  control.  There  was  a  most 
desperate  attempt  to  capture  Fort  Sumter  and  Charleston,  waging  all  the 
year,  with  repeated  failures  and  discouragements.  The  harbor  had  bee 
filled  with  the  strongest  obstacles  in  the  form  of  torpedoes,  heavy  iron  chains, 
sunken  vessels  and  other  impediments,  and  guarded  by  batteries  of  great 
strength.  General  Q.  A.  Gillmore  was  placed  in  command  of  the  Union 
forces  there  June  12th,  1863,  and  Admiral  Dupont  was  succeeded  by  Admiral 
Dahlgren  July  6th. 

Active  operations  were  commenced  at  once  from  Folly  Island,  held  by  the 
Union  forces,  against  Morris  Island.  General  Strong  landed  on  the  latter 
island  July  loth,  and  drove  the  Confederates  to  their  fortification.  Fort 
Wagi>er,  but  when  he  attacked  them  the  next  day  he  was  repulsed  with  heavj- 
loss.  Gillmore  began  a  siege  of  this  fort,  which  continued  until  September 
6th,  when  the  Confederates  abandoned  it,  and  at  once  the  Nationals  occupied 
Fort  Wagner  and  Fort  Gregg.  Now  they  had  full  command  of  the  city  of 
Charleston,  though  at  a  great  distance,  and  could  send  shot  and  shell  into 
the  streets  of  the  doomed  city.     Fort  Sumter  was  made  a  heap  of  shape- 


M 


5o6 


OUR  NATION: 


less  ruins  in  October  by  the  heavy  cannonading  that  Gillmorc  poured  in 
upon  it. 

There  were  some  operations  of  more  or  less  consequence  beyond  the 
Mississippi,  inflicting'  some  damages  upon  the  National  troops  and  stirring  up 
the  Indians  against  the  United  States.  Hut  these  resulted  in  no  very  decided 
advantage  to  the  Confederates,  and  at  the  close  of  1863  a'l  Texas  west  of  the 
Colorado  was  in  the  possession  of  the  Nationals. 

The  finances  of  the  United  States  were  in  a  healthy  condition.  In  spite 
of  the  enormous  debt,  constantly  increasing,  the  public  credit  never  stood 
higher,  while  the  Confederate  States  were  in  a  most  deplorable  financial 
situation.  Their  war  debt  was  as  large  as  that  of  the  National  government  and 
credit  was  wanting.  They  were  forced  to  seize  supplies  for  their  army,  and 
in  order  to  keep  their  ranks  full,  they  passed  a  most  severe  conscription  act, 
calling  out  every  available  man  for  military  service,  "  robbing  the  cradle  and 
the  grave." 


li 


ii;  ■ : 


THE   MILITARY   OPERATIONS   OF    1864. 

The  Congress  of  the  United  States  in  the  opening  of  this  year  saw  that 
there  had  been  some  radical  trouble  in  the  management  of  the  conflict,  and 
came  to  the  conclusion  to  put  some  one  man  in  command  of  the  entire  force 
of  the  Government  and  make  him  responsible  for  the  conduct  of  the  war. 
Hitherto  there  had  been,  at  times,  a  conflict  of  authority,  and  different  gen- 
erals had  been  working  upon  opposing  theories,  and  this  had  been  the  prolific 
cause  of  delays  and  reverses.  Now  a  new  rank  was  created  by  law,  and  U. 
S.  Grant  was  commissioned  Lieutenant-General  ami  Commander-in-chief  of  all 
the  United  States  forces.  He  believed  that  the  surest  way  to  end  the  war,  and 
in  the  long  run  save  human  life,  was  to  strike  decisive  and  heavy  blows  and 
follow  them  up  with  hard  fighting.  He  would  make  war  with  the  horrible 
intention  of  killing  men  and  ending  the  contest  as  quickly  as  posiiible.  Two 
exp.  litions  were  formed,  one  having  the  capture  of  Atlanta,  Georgia,  and 
the  other,  that  of  Richmond,  in  view.  For  the  first  he  put  General  W.  T. 
Sherman  in  chief  command,  and  for  the  second.  General  G.G.  Meade.  The 
task  of  the  latter  was  to  beat  the  army  of  General  Lee,  and  the  former  the 
army  of  Johnston.  These  were  now  the  chief  armies  of  the  Confederacy,  and 
upon  their  destruction  hung  the  issue  of  the  war. 

The  year  1864  began  with  a  series  of  reverses  in  the  extreme  South  and 
South-west,     The  capture  of  Fort  Pillow  and  the  treacherous  massacre  of  its 


THE  STORY  OK  ITS  PROGRESS  AND  GROWTH. 


507 


p;irrison  by  General  Forrest,  in  April,  was  a  foul  blot  upon  the  civilization  of 
the  agt-'.  He  sent  a  flag  of  truce  clemanciinfj  the  surrender  of  the  fort,  and 
while  it  was  under  consideration  secretly  arranged  his  forces  to  fall  upon  it 
unexpectedly.  This  was  done  with  the  cry  "  No  quarter,"  when  a  large 
number  who  threw  down  their  arms  were  butchered  in  cold  blood.  Forrest 
said  in  self-defense:  "War  means  fight  and  fight  means  kill — we  want  but 
few  prisoners."  General  Banks  was  sent  up  the  Red  River  upon  a  disastrous 
expedition.  Missouri  was  invaded  by  a  large  force,  which  caused  considerable 
trouble  throughout  the  summer  and  was  not  driven  out  until  November. 
Arkansas  had  come  under  the  control  of  the  Confederates,  and  the  Union 
citizens  who  had  been  miking  preparations  to  return  the  State  government 
to  its  allegiance  to  the  Union,  were  silenced.  The  operations  in  Charleston 
Harbor  were  being  carried  on  slowly.  East  Tennessee  was  the  scene  of 
stirring  events  of  minor  importance,  but  the  country  turned  from  all  these  to 
the  more  sanguinary  and  gigantic  operations  in  Virginia  and  Georgia. 

Some  movements  were  undertaken  in  the  early  spring  of  1864,  with  the 
design  of  capturing  Richmond  and  releasing  the  Union  prisoners  in  Libby 
Trison  and  on  Helle  Isle.  In  February,  General  H.  F.  Butler  sent  fifteen 
luiiulred  troops  against  Richmond,  but  his  design  was  frustrated  by  treachery. 
Later  than  this  General  Kilpatrick  swept  around  Lee's  right  flank  with  five 
thousand  cavalry  and  penetrated  the  outer  defenses  of  Richmond,  but  was 
compelletl  to  retire  March  1st.  Another  part  of  the  samj  command  was  able 
to  enter  the  lines  at  another  point,  but  were  driven  back  with  the  loss  of 
Colonel  Dahlgren  antl  ninety  men.  General  Custer,  with  a  considerable  force, 
threatened  to  cut  Lee's  communications  with  the  Shenandoah  Valley.  These 
operations  were  preparatory  to  the  execution  of  General  Grant's  far  greater 
plans. 

The  mistaken  opinions  in  the  early  part  of  the  war  had  been  correctetl 
by  bitter  experience,  and  the  North  and  South  were  alike  aware  that  the 
fi^'ht  must  wage  to  the  end.  A  well-tried  general,  in  whom  the  whole  North 
iiaci  confidence,  had  assumed  command.  The  volunteer  army  was  no  longer 
a  mass  of  citizen  militia,  but  hardened  veterans  of  battle,  inured  to  heavy 
marching  and  heavy  fighting.  The  spirit  of  the  North  was  resolute  and  as 
determined  as  ever.*  Grant  had  his  headquarters  with  the  army  of  the 
Potomac,  which  had  been  re-organized  and  formed  into  three  corps,  the 
Second  Corps  under  General  Hancock,  the  Fifth  in  command  of  Genjral 
Warren,  and  the  Sixth  with  the  gallant  Sedgwick  at  its  head.    General  Burn- 


"I .,  ^: 


■■  ii 


■•\    ' 


it    '■,  I"'.. 


m^r 


■''■  'li. 


508 


OUR  NATION 


side  with  the  Ninth  Corps,  which  had  been  filled  up  by  recruits  and  thoroughly 
reconstructed  during  the  winter,  was  attached  to  the  army  of  the  Potomac. 
General  Grant  ordered  Meade  in  Virginia  and  Sherman  in  Georgia  to  advance 
at  the  beginning  of  May.     We  will  follow  the  fortunes  of  the  first. 

On  the  4th  of  May  the  army  of  the  Potomac  was  led  into  the  region 
known  as  the  Wilderness,  to  attack  the  Confederates  who  were  intrenched  011 
Mine  Run.  A  fearful  carnage  in  that  trackless  and  tangled  country  ensued 
for  two  days;  Lee's  front  could  not  be  carried,  and  his  flank  must  be  turned 
if  possible.  General  Warren  led  the  movement  out  of  the  Wilderness  with 
the  Fifth  Corps  on  May  8th,  and  came  to  the  open  country  at  Spottsylvania, 
where  he  found  a  part  of  Lee's  arm}'-  posted  across  his  path,  and  the  rest  of 
the  force  rapidly  concentrating  there.  The  flanking  movement  had  been  ex- 
pected by  Lee,  and  he  was  ready  to  n  cet  it.  On  the  9th,  General  Sedgwick 
was  killed  while  superintending  the  arrangement  of  a  battery.  The  battle 
opened  on  the  loth,  and  was  contested  with  fearful  loss  on  both  sides.  On  the 
iith  Grant  sent  his  famous  dispatch  to  Washington,  "I  intend  to  fight  it  out 
on  this  line  if  it  takes  ail  summer."  On  the  12th  Hancock  broke  Lee's  line 
and  gained  a  decided  advantage,  but  the  following  night  the  Confederate 
army  silently  withdrew  behind  this  second  line  of  intrenchments  and  was  as 
strong  as  ever.  Another  flank  movement  was  impending,  and  Lee  made  an 
attack  to  prevent  it  on  May  19th  and  was  repulsed.  While  these  operations 
were  going  on,  General  Sheridan  made  a  raid  upon  Lee's  rear  with  a  largo 
force  of  cavalry,  and  came  to  within  a  few  miles  of  Richmond,  destroying  rail- 
roads and  military  supplies.  General  Sigel  was  in  the  Shenandoah  and  Kana- 
wha valleys,  and  had  a  fight  at  New  Market  May  15th,  in  which  the  Confed- 
erates gained  the  day. 

General  Butler  with  the  army  of  the  James  had  left  Fortress  Monroe 
with  twenty-five  thousand  troops  in  transports,  followed  by  Admiral  Lcc 
with  gun-boats,  and  they  took  possession  of  both  sides  of  the  river  as  far  as 
City  Point  by  the  aid  of  fifteen  hundred  mounted  men,  who  had  fordeii  the 
Chickahominy  and  taken  their  position  on  the  James  opposite  City  Point. 
This  was  done  with  but  little  fighting,  for  there  were  few  Confederates  there. 
Butler  fortified  Bermuda  Hundred  and  intended  to  cut  communication  between 
Petersburg  and  Richmond.  The  former  city  could  have  been  easily  taken, 
but  for  some  reason  it  was  not  accomplished,  and  the  Confederates  from 
South  Carolina  hastened  there  to  aid  in  its  defense.  Beauregard  got  into 
Petersburg  before  the  railroad  was  destroyed,  and  on  the  morning  of  May 


THE  STORY  OF  ITS  PROGRESS  AND  GROWTH. 


509 


16th  attacked  Butler's  right,  and  after  a  sharp  fight  drove  his  army  into  their 
intrenchments.  At  the  same  instant  a  charge  on  Butler's  front  was  repulsed. 
For  several  days  there  was  much  fighting  all  along  his  lines.  * 

Grant's  army  was  moving  by  the  left  flank,  but  Lee  had  the  inside  line  of 
the  parallel  circles  on  the  road  to  Richmond  and  consequently  was  able  to 
move  faster  than  his  antagonist.  A  heavy  battle  was  fought  at  the  North 
Anna  River.  Grant  was  satisfied  that  he  couiu  not  carry  the  strong  position 
of  Lee,  and  again  resumed  his  march  by  the  left  flank.  On  the  26th  of  May 
the  whole  army  was  south  of  the  Pamunkey  River.  Lee  was  again  in  a 
fortified  position  and  a  heavy  battle  ensued.  "  By  the  left  flank  "  again  came 
the  order,  and  the  army  moved  to  Cool  Arbor.  Ten  thousand  men  from 
General  Butler's  army  under  command  of  General  W.  F.  Smith  re-enforced 
the  army  of  Meade,  and  he  made  an  advance  upon  the  enemy  in  front.  The 
fight  here  on  June  3d  was  bloody  and  short.  In  twenty  minutes  the  Union 
army  lost  ten  thousand  men  and  only  succeeded  in  holding  their  own  position. 
The  line  of  Lee's  army  could  not  be  broken.  Other  attempts  to  force  the 
lines  the  next  day  met  with  similar  results,  but  all  the  while  the  Union  forces 
•were  moving  by  the  left  flank  and  on  June  7th  rested  on  the  Chickahominy. 
Sheridan  crossed  the  river  with  his  cavalry  and  tore  up  the  railroads  and 
bridges.  The  whole  army  moved  across  the  river  to  Lee's  right  and  crossed 
the  James  June  14th  and  15th.  Butler  made  an  unsuccessful  attempt  to  take 
Petersburg  before  aid  could  arrive  from  Richmond.  The  failure  to  accom- 
plish this  disarranged  the  plans  somewhat,  and  caused  the  long  and  exhaus- 
tive siege  of  both  cities  which  lasted  for  ten  months.  Grant  established  his 
licad-quarters  at  City  Point,  and  on  the  i6th  preparations  were  made  to  carry 
tlic  city  of  Petersburg  by  assault.  Warren,  Hancock  and  Burnside  made  a 
desperate  attack  on  the  lines  here,  but  it  was  evident  that  the  whole  army  of 
Lcc  was  south  of  the  James.  The  assaults  of  the  Union  army  on  the  17th 
and  1 8th  of  June  resulted  in  some  advantage  to  the  Nationals,  but  it  was 
plain  that  the  time  to  take  Petersburg  by  direct  advance  was  past. 

An  attempt  was  now  made  on  the  right  of  the  Confederate  army  to  cut 
the  W^eldon  Railroad  and  turn  Lee's  flank.  The  railroad  was  destroyed  as 
far  as  Ream's  Statron.  The  besieging  lines  of  Meade's  and  Butler's  army 
extended  from  City  Point  and  Bermuda  Hundred  to  the  Weldon  Railroad, 
partly  around  Petersburg  and  toward  Richmond.  A  disastrous  attempt  to 
break  the  Confederate  lines  at  Petersburg  was  made  on  the  30th  of  July  by 
exploding  a  mine  under  a  fort  at  the  outpost  of  the  line.     This  proved  a 


'    i 


i    i  'i  1 
1      '     I 


I  a 


W'i' 


;V..' 


f''i#i- 


lpfe^:■ 

Pift 


MB 


'.\i 


mi 


'(<  n 


510 


OUR  NATION 


heavy  disaster  to  the  Confederate  army,  in  which  about  three  thousand  troops 
were  lost.  September  29th  Butler  stormed  and  carried  the  strongest  works  on 
•  Lee's  left,  known  as  Fort  Harrison.  On  October  27th  an  attempt  was  made 
to  extend  the  Union  lines  to  Hatcher's  Run,  but  after  heavy  fighting  the 
National  troops  were  obliged  to  retire  to  their  fortifications  in  front  of  Peters- 
burg. Here  they  settled  down  for  a  winter's  siege  of  that  city.  From  the 
opening  of  the  campaign  in  May  to  the  ist  of  November  the  Nationals  had 
lost  in  killed,  wounded,  prisoners  and  missing,  the  enormous  number  of  one 
hundred  thousand  men. 

There  were  exciting  times  in  the  Shenandoah  Valley  in  the  summer  and 
early  fall  of  1864.  A  Union  army  had  encountered  a  Confederate  force  at 
Winchester  on  July  20th  and  defeated  it,  taking  many  prisoners  and  supplies. 
General  Early  was  in  full  force  up  the  valley,  and  so  sanguine  was  he  that 
he  sent  an  invading  force  of  cavalry  into  Maryland,  who  burned  the  city  of 
Chambersburg,  Pennsylvania.  Sheridan  was  sent  into  the  Shenandoah  valley 
with  thirty  thousand  troops  to  attack  the  Confederates.  By  a  series  of  the 
most  brilliant  and  dashing  operations  and  unexpected  movements,  Sheridan 
sent  them  "whirling  up  the  valley."  There  was  a  battle  at  Winchester,  in 
which  Early  was  driven  to  his  strong  position  at  Fisher's  Hill  on  September 
19th.  He  was  forced  from  the  new  position  the  21st  and  fled  to  the  moun- 
tains. Early  had  less  than  one-half  the  men  now  that  came  with  him  into  the 
valley.  Sheridan  had  his  position  at  Cedar  Creek  near  Strasburg,  and  Early, 
who  had  been  re-enforced  heavily,  now  came  with  crushing  efTect  upon  tlie 
Union  army  at  a  time  when  Sheridan  was  "  twenty  miles  away."  Their 
lines  were  driven  bajk  in  great  confusion.  The  Eleventh  Corps  were  not 
able  to  withstand  t'.e  fierce  onslaught  of  Early's  men.  Sheridan  hastened  to 
the  scene  of  bnttle,  reformed  the  broken  lines,  and  riding  along  the  regiments 
and  brigades  with  cheers  encouraged  his  men,  regained  the  lost  ground,  and 
sent  tli^'  Confederates  in  hopeless  flight  up  the  Shenatuioah.  Early's  arni\- 
was  nearly  annihilated  and  Lee  could  spare  no  more  men  for  it.  This  ended 
the  contest  for  the  fertile  valley  which  had  been  overrun  so  often  by  the 
opposing  forces.  Sheridan  had  burned  and  destroyed  on  every  hand — sucli 
was  the  stern  necessity  of  war — and  the  Confederates  could  no  more  gain 
the  abundant  supplies  which  they  hail  found  in  the  rich  valley,  and  which  for 
years  had  been  the  store-house  of  their  armies. 

At  the  beginning  of  May,  (1864)  when  General  Grant  ordered  the  two 
great  armies  to  move,  Sherman  was  at  Chattanooga  with  about  one  hundred 


THE  STORY  OF  ITS  PROGRESS  AND  GROWTH. 


5ir 


thousand  men.  His  antagonist  was  General  E.  Joseph  Johnston,  with  fifty-five 
thousand  troops,  who  was  at  Dalton,  strongly  intrenched.  Sherman's  plan 
was  to  move  by  the  left  flank  and  compel  the  Confederates  to  abandon  one 
strong  pos  tion  after  another  in  order  to  save  their  army.  A  sharp  fight 
took  place  at  Resaca  Station  May  15th,  which  drove  Johnston  across  the 
Oostenaula.  The  Union  army  closely  followed  in  three  divisions.  At  Adairs- 
villc,  Johnston  made  a  stand,  but  when  the  Nationals  advanced  he  pushed 
on  and  fortified  a  position  commanding  the  Altoona  Pass.  After  resting  a 
little  Sherman  moved  forward  to  the  right,  and  had  a  severe  contest  May 
25th.  This  was  a  drawn  battle,  withort  advantage  to  either  side.  June  ist, 
Johnston  was  forced  to  abandon  the  Altoona  Pass.  Sherman  took  possession 
of  this  and  made  it  a  second  base  of  supplies  by  repairing  the  railroad  to 
Chattanooga.  He  here  received  reinforcements.  On  June  9th  he  took 
possession  of  Big  Shanty,  and  by  persistency  and  frequent  fighting  forced 
Johnston  to  give  up  Pine  Mountain  June  15th,  Lost  Mountain  June  17th,  and 
Kenesaw  Mountain  July  2d.  On  the  morning  of  July  3d  the  stars  and 
stripes  waved  over  the  last-mentioned  mountain,  and  Sherman  rode  in  triumph 
into  Marietta,  close  upon  the  heels  of  Johnston's  army.  The  Confederates 
succeeded  in  crossing  the  river  here  before  Sherman  could  give  them  a  crush- 
ing blow.  Johnston  was  obliged  to  retreat  (July  lOth)  toward  Atlanta, 
Georgia.  He  fortified  his  army  on  a  line  covering  that  town  from  the  Chat- 
tahoochc  River  to  Peachtree  Creek.  He  knew  that  his  force  was  less  than 
that  of  the  Nationals,  and  therefore  he  preferred  to  save  his  army  rather  than 
to  risk  an  engagement.  He  had  had  already  a  number  of  severe  encounters, 
and  had  been  worsted  in  them  all. 

General  Johnston  was  now  relieved  of  the  command  of  the  Confederate 
army,  and  succeeded  by  General  Hood.  The  former  was  a  cautious,  scientific 
soldier,  while  the  latter  was  a  dashing,  reckless  ofificcr,  who  did  not  care  for 
the  loss  of  men  if  he  could  make  quick  work.  On  July  i6th,  General  Rous- 
seau, with  two  thousand  cavalry,  joined  Sherman.  On  the  19th,  all  the  Union 
forces  were  across  the  river.  A  flank  movement  was  made  to  cut  the  railroad 
leading  to  Augusta.  This  was  accomplished.  On  the  20th,  Hood  attacked  the 
weakened  lines  in  front,  but  was  repulsed  with  heavy  loss.  On  the  22d,  the 
Confederate  lines  on  the  heights  about  Peachtree  Creek  were  abandoned,  and 
Sherman  thought  that  Hood,  like  Johnston,  had  evacuated  the  city,  and  con- 
sequently moved  his  army  rapidly  toward  Atlanta.  He  found  Hood  in  a 
strong  line  of  works  near  the  city,  which  had  been  built  the  year  before. 


i  n 


512 


OUR  NATION; 


:H:  '^ 


Preparations  were  made  for  carrying  the  city  by  assault,  when  a  large  part  of 
Hood's  army,  which  had  gained  Sherman's  rear  in  the  night,  fell  upon  him, 
and  a  most  sanguinary  and  hotly  contested  battle  raged  for  four  hours.  The 
Union  army  was  successful,  and  the  Confederates  were  driven  back  to  their 
breastworks.  On  July  28th,  Hood  made  another  attack  upon  Sherman  but 
was  replused  with  heavy  loss,  and  seeing  that  the  Unionists  were  gradually 
getting  possession  of  all  the  railroads  leading  from  the  city,  after  a  month  of 
countermaneuvering  the  Confederate  general  abandoned  Atlanta,  having 
destroyed  all  factories,  warehouses  and  whatever  would  be  of  advantage  to 
the  enemy.  He  left  no  food  for  the  inhabitants,  who  were  on  the  point  of 
starvation.  Sherman  took  possession,  and  not  being  able  to  feed  the  citizens 
and  his  own  army,  humanely  ordered  all  non-combatants  to  leave  the  city, 
•either  for  the  North  or  South,  as  they  might  choose.  He  furnished  trans- 
portation  for  all  who  wished  to  go  to  Chattanooga. 

Hood,  after  leaving  Atlanta,  moved  upon  Sherman's  base  of  supplie>>  at 
Altoona  Pass,  and  threatened  the  small  force  there.  Sherman  sent  a  force 
to  their  assistance,  and  drove  the  army  of  Hood  with  great  slaughter.  Then 
he  returned  to  Atlanta  with  all  his  troops,  destroying  all  founderies,  dis- 
mantling  the  railroads,  and  preparing  to  cut  loose  from  his  base  of  supplies. 
His  army  numbered  sixty-five  thousand  men  of  all  kinds.  He  Lut  the  wires 
which  connected  him  with  the  North,  and  started  on  his  grand  march  to  the 
sea.  The  people  in  the  North  did  not  hear  from  him  for  some  time  except 
through  the  newspapers  of  the  South,  and  this  was  far  from  being  reliable. 
His  army  was  divided  into  two  great  columns;  one  under  General  0.0. 
Howard,  the  other  under  General  \V.  H.  Slocum,  with  the  cavalry  in  com- 
mand of  General  Kilpatrick.  Nothing  was  heard  from  this  army  until  De- 
cember 13th,  when  it  appeared  near  Savannah  and  captured  Fort  McAllister, 
on  the  Ogeechee  River,  not  far  from  that  city.  Savannah  was  invested  at 
once,  and  on  the  20th,  Hardee  evacuated  it  and  fled  to  Charleston  with  fift) 
thousand  troops.  The  army  of  Georgia  entered  the  city  the  next  day  and 
there  rested,  after  a  march  of  two  hundred  and  fifty-five  miles,  inflicting  very 
heavy  loss  upon  the  Confederates  and  sustaining  but  little  loss  in  return. 

Some  active  measures  were  going  on  in  Florida  and  >Jorth  Carolina  dur- 
ing this  time,  but  the  most  interest  was  centered  upon  the  two  grand  armies. 
In  September  and  October  there  were  some  interesting  events,  and  after 
considerable  skirmishing  on  both  sides  there  was  a  general  engagement  at 
Pranklin,  a  few  miles  south  of  Nashville,  in  which  the  Confederate  forces  at 


THE  STORY  OF  ITS  PROGRESS  AND  GROWTH. 


513 


first  drove  their  antagonists  from  their  breastworks,  and  were  in  turn  driven 
back;  Hood,  the  Confederate  general,  lost  three  thousand  men.  On  the  15th 
of  December,  a  desperate  battle  was  fought  in  front  of  Nashville,  when^ 
Hood  was  besieging  the  Nationals  under  General  Thomas.  The  attack  was 
opened  by  Thomas,  who  drove  the  Confederates  from  their  works  and  pursued 
them  out  of  the  State.  The  campaign  ended  with  complete  success  for  the 
Union  army. 

The  Anglo-Confederate  privateers  were  doing  immense  damage  to 
American  commerce  in  various  parts  of  the  world.  The  chief  depredator  was 
the  Alabama,  in  command  of  a  former  United  States  navy  officer,  Captaini 
Raphael  .Semmes.  The  English  also  built  for  the  Confederates  the  Florida, 
Georgia,  Talla/iasscc,  Olnstcc  and  Chickamauga,  all  of  which  committed  great 
depredations  upon  the  vessels  and  cargoes  of  American  ship  owners.  This 
drove  a  large  part  of  our  maritime  commerce  to  seek  the  protection  of  for- 
eign flags.  A  stupendous  effort  was  made  to  capture  and  destroy  these 
cruisers.  The  Georgia  was  captured  off  the  coast  of  Lisbon  in  August,  1864, 
by  the  United  States  vessel  Niagara;  the  Florida  by  the  IVachusctt,  October 
17th,  in  a  port  of  Brazil.  The  Alabama  had  been  sunk  some  time  before  this. 
ly  the  Kcarsargc.  Captain  Semmes  was  rescued  from  capture  by  a  British 
\cssel  which  was  conveniently  near  at  hand,  but  the  "common  people"  were 
left  to  drown  or  be  picked  up  by  the  American  vessel  and  a  Frenchman.. 
This  had  occurred  on  Sunday,  June  19th. 

Admiral  Farragut  had  captured  the  port  of  Mobile  with  a  fleet  of  eigh- 
teen vessels  aided  by  a  land  force  under  General  Gordon  Granger.  This  fleet 
passed  between  the  two  forts  (Morgan  and  Gaines),  at  the  entrance  to  Mobile 
Hay,  lashed  together  in  pairs,  on  August  5th,  1864.  It  was  in  this  engage- 
ment that  the  brave  admiral  was  lashed  to  the  rigging  of  his  flag-ship.  The 
Confederate  ram  Tennessee  was  destroyed  and  a  complete  victory  gained. 
The  forts  were  surrendered  after  cannonading  and  siege.  Fort  Gaines  on  the 
"th  and  Fort  Morgan  on  the  23d  of  August.     The  port  of  Mobile  was  closed. 

We  will  turn  for  a  brief  space  from  the  consideration  of  militaiy  to  politic 
cal  affairs.  The  National  Republican  party  had  met  in  a  convention  at 
Haltimore,  in  June,  and  nominated  Mr.  Lincoln  for  re-election,  affirmed  its 
determination  to  maintain  the  Union  and  the  policy  of  his  administration, 
aiul  pledged  themselves  to  sustain  it  to  the  end.  Andrew  Johnson  was  nom- 
inated for  the  Vice-Presidency. 

On  August  29th  delegates  of  the  opposition  or  "  Democratic  "  party  met 


.1 ' '  ■ 


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Hi  I 


514 


OUR  NATION; 


mm  ■!.,-■■ .  • 


in  Convention  at  Chicago,  ar  J  displayed  an  intense  anti-war  feeling.  General 
George  B.  McClellan  was  nominated  for  the  Presidency  and  George  H.  Pen- 
dleton for  Vice-President.  The  resolution  that  declared  the  war  a  failure  was 
scarcely  dry  upon  the  paper  before  the  people  of  the  United  States  were 
called  to  devote  a  day  to  thanksgiving  and  praise  for  the  victories  of  Sher- 
man and  Farragu*".  The  election  resulted  in  the  most  overwhelming  majorities 
for  Lincoln  and  Johnson.  Only  the  three  States  of  Delaware,  Kentucky  and 
New  Jersey  gave  their  votes  to  the  opposition. 

THE   CLOSING   EVENTS  OF  THE   WAR— 1865. 

The  year  that  saw  the  closing  operations  of  the  civil  strife  had  come, 
and  General  Sherman,  after  giving  his  gallant  army  a  rest  of  more  than  a 
month,  at  Savannah,  started  for  a  march  into  the  interior.  On  the  17th  of 
February,  1865,  he  captured  Columbia,  the  capital  of  South  Carolina.  Wade 
Hampton  had  ordered  all  the  cotton  in  that  city  to  be  piled  in  the  public 
square  and  burned.  In  the  strong  vvind  which  was  then  blowing  the  burning 
cotton  set  the  city  on  fire  and  destroyed  it  in  part. 

Sherman  had  now  flanked  the  city  of  Charleston,  which  so  long  had  with- 
stood the  most  persistent  siege,  and  in  consequence  the  Confederates  aban- 
doned it.  Hardee  fled  from  the  city  and  the  United  States  colored  troops 
marched  in  and  raised  the  stars  and  stripes  upon  the  public  buildings  on 
February  19th.  Sherman  pressed  onward  to  North  Carolina,  leaving  a  track 
of  destruction  forty  miles  wide,  until  he  came  to  F'ayetteville,  March  12th, 
■where  he  found  the  concentrated  Confederate  forces  under  Johnston,  num- 
bering forty  thousand.  Sherman  here  halted  three  days  for  rest.  After  dc- 
h.roying  the  Confederate  armory  and  the  military  stores,  he  marched  on  in 
two  columns,  as  when  in  Georgia.  The  column  under  Slocum  had  a  severe 
fight  at  Averysborough  with  Hardee's  force  of  twenty  thousand  men,  and 
•won  the  victory,  March  i6th.  Slocum  marched  on  towards  Goldsboro',  and 
was  attacked  by  Johnston,  whom  he  repulsed  near  Rentonville,  March  i.Sth. 
Johnston  had  fully  expected  to  crush  Slocum  before  the  main  body  could 
come  to  his  aid,  but  that  commander  hekl  his  ground  firmly,  and  after  six 
desperate  attempts  to  drive  him  back,  Johnston  gave  up  the  contest  at  night 
fall.  The  next  morning,  the  igth,  there  were  sixty  thousand  Nationals  in 
front  of  Johnston  when  the  latter  retreated.  Sherman's  whole  army  soon 
reached  Goldsboro',  the  point  for  which  they  had  started.     Sherman  then 


THE  STORY  OF  ITS  PROGRESS  AND  GROWTH. 


515 


hastened  to  City  Point  to  confer  with  Grant  and  Meade,  and  returned  to  his 
command  three  days  later.     Here  we  will  leave  him  for  awhile. 

After  closing  the  port  of  Mobile,  the  only  harbor  left  to  which  blockade- 
runners  could  gain  access  was  that  of  Wilmington,  N.  C,  on  the  Cape  Fear 
River.  Near  the  close  of  1864  a  land  and  naval  force  was  sent  against  Fort 
Fisher  at  the  mouth  of  the  Cape  Fear,  with  a  view  to  closing  the  port  of 
Wilmington.  The  fleet  was  commanded  by  Admiral  D.  D.  Porter,  and  was 
accompanied  by  General  B.  F.  Butler  with  land  troops.  The  attack 
was  unsuccessful.  Another  attack  by  Porter  and  General  Terry,  early  in  1865, 
resulted  in  the  capture  of  the  Fort  and  the  closing  the  port  of  Wilmington 
against  bloCrt;ade  runners.  In  the  Gulf  Department  the  fleet  of  Farragut  had 
prepared  the  way  for  the  fall  of  Mobile,  which  was  accomplished  on  April 
20,  1865,  What  were  the  army  of  the  Potomae  and  General  Lee's  forces  do- 
ing all  this  while  ?     Let  us  see. 

Grant  was  holding  Petersburg  and  Richmond  in  a  vise-like  grip,  which 
prevented  Lee  from  going  to  the  assistance  of  Johnston.  He  dared  not  send 
him  any  men,  for  in  so  doing  he  would  weaken  the  defense  of  the  Confederate 
capital.  The  besiegers  were  pounding  away  with  shot  and  bhell  upon  the 
fortifications  around  the  doomed  cities,  daily  extending  the  cordon  of  diffi- 
culties, and  cutting  one  after  another  of  the  railroads  which  brought  food  to 
them.  About  the  end  of  February,  Sheridan  with  ten  thousand  cavalry  left 
his  quarters  in  the  Shenandoah  Valley  and  sweeping  through  Staunton  on 
March  2d  scattered  Early's  forces  at  Waynesborough  and  destroyed  the  rail- 
road as  far  as  Charlotteville,  then  dividing  into  two  columns,  one  to  destroy  the 
railroad  toward  Lynchburg,  and  the  other  to  destroy  the  James  River  Canal. 
Accomplishing  this,  he  swept  around  Lee's  left  and  joined  the  army  of  the 
Potomac  March  27th. 

Lee  now  made  a  desperate  attempt  to  break  through  Grant's  lines  and 
join  Johnston.  A  most  desperate  assault  was  made  March  27th  upon  Fort 
Steadman,  in  front  of  Petersburg,  held  by  the  Ninth  Corps.  The  Confed- 
erates captured  the  fort  and  held  it  about  four  hours;  then  it  was  recaptured 
by  the  Nationals,  and  Lee's  last  chance  to  break  the  Union  lines  was  gone. 
The  Union  troops  were  nearer  the  city  at  night  than  when  the  attack  was 
made  in  the  morning. 

A  grand  movement  was  begun  on  March  29th  by  General  Sheridan  with 
ten  thousand  cavalry,  the  Fifth  Corps  under  Warren,  and  the  Second  under 
Hancock,  while  the  Ninth,  under  Parke,  held  the  long  line  of  breast-works. 


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Lee  saw  his  peril  and  made  great  haste  to  avert  it  fl  possible,  but  his  army 
was  disheartened  by  the  hard  work  of  the  winter,  the  want  of  siippHes,  and 
the  loss  of  all  hope.  A  heavy  fight  ensued  at  Five  Forks,  in  which  Siicridiiii 
was  forced  back  on  Dinwiddle  Court  House,  but  held  his  ground  (April  ist, 
1865).  On  the  evening  of  the  same  day  a  continuous  and  concentrated  can- 
nonade was  opened  upon  Petersburg  all  along  the  line,  and  at  early  dawn  of 
the  2d  a  part  of  the  works  was  carried.  The  left  had  been  successful,  and 
when  General  Longstreet  came  down  from  Richmond  to  aid  Lee  he  was  too 
late  to  be  of  any  service.  Lee  sent  word  to  President  Jefferson  Davis:  "  My 
lines  are  broken  in  three  places;  we  can  hold  Petersburg  no  longer:  Rich- 
mond must  be  evacuated  this  evening."  Davis  and  his  cabinet  fled  to  Dans- 
ville,  where  Lee  hoped  to  join  him,  but  Sheridan  was  in  the  way  at  AniLlia 
Court  House.  Lee  endeavoretl  to  escape  and  did  some  heavy  fighting  in  t!ic 
desperation  of  despair,  but  on  the  9th  of  April,  after  one  final  charge  to 
break  the  National  lines  at  Appomattox  Court  House,  he  sent  a  flag  of  truce 
with  an  ofTer  of  surrender.  Grant  and  Lee  met  under  an  apple  tree  on  the 
grounds  of  W.  McLean  to  make  generous  terms  of  surrender. 

Mi'.  Lincoln  went  to  Richmond  on  April  4th,  and  was  enthusiastically 
received  by  the  officers  high  in  rank,  and  the  colored  people,  and  then  re- 
turned to  Washington  happy  that  the  cruel  war  was  over.  On  the  evening  of 
the  14th,  while  the  patient  man  who  had  endured  the  most  fearful  strain  of 
these  anxious  years,  was  quietly  sitting  in  a  private  box  in  a  public  place  of 
amusement  at  the  National  Capital,  he  was  shot  by  an  assassin,  who  entered 
from  behind  and  deliberately  aimed  his  revolver  at  his  unsuspecting  victim. 
John  Wilkes  Booth,  a  play-actor  of  moderate  ability,  and  a  warm  secessionist, 
was  the  actor  in  this  diabolical  crime.  The  Confederate  government  were 
not  responsible  for  the  act,  much  less  the  brave  men  who  had  contested  so 
many  hard  fought  battles  with  the  North.  No  man  was  found  to  openly 
applaud  the  act  save  here  and  there  a  solitary  voice  in  the  North,  which  was 
quickly  hushed  by  the  intense  popular  excitement  of  the  times.  Andrew 
Johnson  took  the  oath  of  office  as  President,  April  15,  1865,  and  entered  at 
once  upon  the  discharge  of  his  duties.  After  some  active  operations  in 
North  Carolina  General  Johnston  asked  for  an  armistice,  proposing  to  refer 
the  matter  of  settlement  of  grievances  to  General  Grant.  The  armistice  was 
granted  on  the  14th  day  of  April,  but  the  idea  that  the  defeated  chieftain 
should  dictate  terms  caused  Grant  to  order  a  resumption  of  hostilities  on  the 
26th.     This  was  followed  by  the  surrender  of  Johnston  on  the  same  generous 


THE  STORY  OK  ITS  PROCiKIiSS  AND  GROWTH. 


517 


terms  th.it  h;ul  been  given  General  Lee.  Jefferson  Davis  attempted  to  escape 
from  the  country.  The  fugitive  President  of  the  Confederacy  was  captured 
at  Irwinsville,  Georgia,  May  nth,  and  sent  to  Fortress  Monroe,  and  there 
Ii(j  was  treated  with  marked  kindness,  until  he  was  released  under  bail  placed 
at  one  million  dollars. 

Lieutenant-General  Grant  issued  a  patriotic  and  stirring  farewell  address 
to  the  "  Soldiers  of  the  Armies  of  the  United  Slates,"  on  June  2d,  1865.  The 
military  prisons,  where  tens  of  thousands  of  Confederate  prisoners  of  war 
were  held  for  exchange,  were  opened  and  the  men  were  sent  to  their  homes 
at  Government  expense.  The  millions  of  liberated  blacks  were  cared  for  by 
Government ;  and  the  people,  happy  that  peace  had  again  dawned  upon  the 
distracted  country,  were  loud  in  their  demonstrations  of  joy. 

The  most  brilliant  pageantry  of  modern  times  was  held  in  Washington, 
consisting  of  a  grand  review  of  the  Union  armies  of  the  Potomac  and  of  the 
James,  and  of  Sherman's  army.  This  lasted  two  days,  and  then  the  task  of 
disbanding  the  mighty  Union  army  began.  The  rolls  were  made  out,  the  arms 
were  stacked,  the  artillery  parked,  and  flags  were  furled.  In  an  incredibly 
short  time  the  hundreds  of  thousands  of  boys  in  blue  had  donned  the  garb 
of  private  citizens  and  returned  to  the  avocations  of  peace.  The  great  work 
of  putting  down  armed  resistance  to  the  Governmertt  had  been  accomplished, 
and  now  the  peaceful  question  of  regulating  the  commercial,  political  and 
social  relations  of  the  States  late  in  arms  would  be  settled  in  the  halls  of 
Congress. 

REORGANIZATION   AND   PROGRESS. 

ADMINISTRATION  (^F  ANDKFAV  JOHNSON. 

What  was  the  position  of  those  States  which  had  passed  the  ordinances 
of  secession  ?  The  war  had  closed,  but  it  had  been  maintained  by  the  North 
that  the  States  were  all  the  while  an  integral  part  of  the  Union  and  had  no 
power  to  dissolve  their  allegiance  to  it.  What  was  to  be  done  ?  Should  their 
territory  be  held  -as  if  it  had  been  conquered  from  a  foe  ?  They  had  en- 
deavored to  sever  the  bonds  that  bound  them  to  the  Government,  but  had 
been  prevented  by  the  firm  hand  of  armed  law.  They  now  claimed  the  right 
to  resume  their  old  places  in  Congress  as  if  they  had  never  attempted  to 
secede.  What  should  be  done  ?  The  Proclamation  of  Emancipation  had 
given  freedom  only  to  those  slaves  whose  masters  were  in  arms  on  the  first 


.    (: 


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'  '  '■ 


V 


11 


518 


OUR  NATION 


■:; :  i<: 


ii*f: 


day  of  January,  1863.  There  were  many  others  whose  owners  could  hold 
them  under  th..*^  proclamation,  but  many  of  the  slave  States  soon  removccl 
this  impediment  of  their  own  account.  Louisiana,  Maryland,  Tennessee, 
Missouri  and  Arkansas  had  abolished  it  within  their  borders.  An  amend- 
ment to  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States  had  been  submitted  to  tlie 
several  States  and  adopted,  in  1865,  by  more  than  the  required  number  to 
make  it  a  part  of  that  instrument. 

Another  amendment  was  submitted  to  the  States,  giving  the  fullest  rights 
of  American  citizenship  to  all  native-born  and  naturalized  citizens  of  the 
United  States.  This  was  made  the  condition  for  the  restoration  of  rights  to 
those  men  who  were  seeking  to  return  to  their  old  position  of  citizensiiip. 
The  questions  growing  out  of  all  this  state  of  affairs  were  most  delicate,  and 
required  the  careful  consideration  of  patriots;  but  the  institution  which  had 
caused  all  the  controversy  of  the  past,  all  the  bloodshed  and  ruin  which  hail 
come  to  both  sections  of  the  country,  must  be  thoroughly  eradicated  now, 
and  leave  no  seeds  to  spring  up  in  after  years.  So  the  men  who  had  won  the 
fight  thought,  and  the  men  who  had  yielded  "  to  the  stern  necessity  of  war  " 
came  to  accept  the  situation  with  what  grace  they  could,  and  slowly  the 
work  went  on  to  its  completion. 

On  April  29th,  1865,  President  Johnson  issued  a  proclamation  removini; 
certain  restrictions  on  commercial  intercourse  with  the  Southern  Spates. 
On  May  20th  provisional  governors  were  appointed  for  the  States  of  North 
Carolina,  South  Carolina,  Geor,^]a,  Alabama,  Mississippi,  and  Texas.  An 
order  for  rescinding  the  blockade  was  issued  the  23d  of  June,  another  to  still 
further  remove  the  restriction  on  inter-state  commerce  August  29th.  State 
prisoners  were  released  October  12th.  The  privilege  of  the  Writ  of  Habeas 
Corpus  was  restored  December  1st. 

The  provisional  governors  in  tht  States,  who  were  anxious  to  do  all  that 
could  be  done  to  reorganize  their  Commonwealth,  called  conventions  of  dele- 
gates, chosen  by  citizens,  who  could  take  the  oath  required  by  the  act  of  Con- 
gress. Before  the  session  of  Congress  had  met  in  December  five  States  had 
ratified  the  proposed  amendment  to  the  Constitution,  formed  new  State  Con- 
stitutions, and  provided  for  Representatives  to  Congress. 

When  Congress  met  there  arose  at  once  a  conflict  between  the  President 
and  the  Legislative  Department.  This  breach  widened  until  it  became  an 
open  rupture.  The  Cabinet  resigned,  with  the  exception  of  the  Secretary  of 
War,  E.  M.  Stanton,  who  was  advised  to  remain   by  his  friends.     On  April 


THK  STORY  OF  ITS  PROGRESS  AND  GROWTH. 


519 


2d,  1866,  the  Executive  issued  his  proclamation  declaring  that  the  civil  war 
Avas  at  an  end.     Tennessee  was  finally  restored  to  the  Union  July  23d. 

The  Emperor  of  the  French  had  subverted  the  Republic  of  Mexico,  and 
by  military  power  had  placed  and  supported  on  a  throne  Maximilian,  an 
archduke  of  Austria,  as  Emperor  of  that  dominion.  On  the  5th  of  April, 
1 866,  our  Government  informed  the  French  Emperor  that  the  continuation 
of  the  French  troops  in  Mexico  was  objectionable,  and  at  once  the  assurance 
came  that  they  would  be  withdrawn. 

The  elections  throu^jhout  the  Northern  States  showed  that  the  people 
sustained  the  policy  of  Congress.  The  act  conferring  the  elective  franchise 
upon  all  citizens  in  the  District  of  Columbia  was  passed  December  14th. 
Tiiis  was  vetoed  by  the  President,  but  passed  over  his  veto  by  more  than  a 
two-thirds  vote,  January  7th,  1867.  The  same  day  the  preliminary  steps 
were  taken  for  the  impeachment  of  Andrew  Johnson,  President  of  the  United 
States,  which  resulted  in  a  trial  before  the  Senate,  with  the  Chief  Justice 
presiding,  in  May,  1868. 

The  territory  of  Nebraska  was  admitted  into  the  Union  as  a  St.ite  on 
March  1st,  1867.  There  .vas  intense  excitement  over  several  bills  which  the 
President  vetoed  and  which  Congress  at  once  passed  over  his  veto.  The 
tliirty-ninth  Congress  closed  its  session  March  3d  and  the  fortieth  Congress 
met  at  once.  This  Congress  adjourned  on  March  31st,  to  meet  on  the  first 
W'cilnesday  in  July.  This  was  done,  and  then  the  two  Houses  adjourned, 
July  20th,  to  meet  again  on  November  2!st.  In  the  mean  time  the  President 
attempted  to  remove  E.  M.  Stanton,  Secretary  of  War,  who  refused  to  resign. 
General  Grant  was  ordered  to  assume  the  office,  which  he  did,  and  held  it  a 
short  time.  The  controversy  went  on  until  the  impeachment  of  the  President. 
The  trial  lasted  from  March  5th  to  April  26th,  when  he  escaped  conviction 
l)y  only  one  vote.  Two-thirds  of  all  the  votes  cast  are  required  to  convict. 
Every  member  was  present.  Thirty-five  voted  guilty  and  nineteen  voteu  not 
guilty. 

The  Secretary  of  State  certified  to  the  fact  that  the  required  number  of 
States  had  adopted  the  XlVth  amendment  to  the  Constitution  conferring 
civil  rights  upon  all  citizens,  without  regard  to  race  or  color. 

The  work  of  reorganization  was  now  completed  in  all  the  States  save 
three,  and  the  people  of  the  South  were  betaking  themselves  to  the  task  of 
retrieving  their  ruined  fortunes,  and  thus  comparative  quiet  was  restored. 

An  important  treaty  with  China  was  ratified  by  Congress  before  its  ad- 


it  <| 


vn 


km  f  " 


Ill; 


:i!* 


!«© 


OUR  NATION: 


Mr' 


•{',',  rKi" 


un 


P": 


journmcnt.  The  Indian  question  had  caused  some  discussion,  and  an  attempt 
to  transfer  the  conduct  of  these  affairs  to  the  War  Department  failed. 

A  fifteenth  amendment  was  proposed  by  Congress  February  2r)th,  iHCxj, 
and  submitted  to  the  States,  the  requisite  number  of  which  ratified  it  soon 
afterwards. 

General  U.  S.  Grant  was  chosen  President  of  the  United  States,  and 
Schuyler  Colfax  Vice-President,  at  the  election  of  1868,  and  on  the  4th  <if 
March,  1869,  took  the  oath  of  office  and  entered  upon  the  discharge  of  tluir 
duties. 

ADMINISTRATION   OF   ULYSSES   S.   GRANT. 

President  Grant  entered  upon  the  task  of  finishing  the  incomplcto 
work  of  reconstruction  at  once,  and  sent  a  special  message  to  Congress  A|)ril 
7th,  1869,  in  which  he  urged  that  body  to  adopt  and  maintain  such  measures 
as  would  effectually  secure  the  civil  and  political  rights  of  all  persons  within 
the  borders  of  the  States  not  yet  in  full  relations  to  the  Union.  Hoth  thv 
Executive  and  Legislative  Departments  took  every  means  in  their  pov  cr 
consistent  with  the  provisions  of  the  amended  Constitution  to  restore  the 
people,  who  were  not  yet  represented  in  the  National  Congress,  to  thi.;  posi- 
tion. This  was  finally  accomplished  in  1872,  when,  on  the  23d  day  of  May, 
every  seat  that  had  been  abdicated  in  1861  by  members  from  the  Southern 
States  was  filled  by  legally  elected  members.  On  May  22d  a  general  Amnesty 
Bill  was  passed  by  Congress,  removing  the  disabilities  imposed  by  the  Four- 
teenth Amendment  from  all  persons,  with  the  exceptions  of  those  who  had 
held  positions  in  the  National  Government,  the  diplomatic  corps,  and  the  army 
and  navy  of  the  United  States  during  the  administration  of  James  Huchanan. 
The  political  unity  of  the  whole  country  was  now  established  by  law,  and  tlic 
rights  of  American  citizenship  were  conferred  upon  all  native-born  and 
naturalized  persons  within  the  borders  of  the  United  States,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  the  comparative  few  mentioned  above. 

The  last  tie  which  completed  the  railroad  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific 
was  laid  May  loth,  1869,  and  marked  an  important  event  in  the  social  and 
commercial  life  of  the  United  States.  By  this  the  States  on  the  eastern  sea- 
board and  the  distant  Pacific  coasts  were  brought  together,  and  a  grand  high- 
way opened  to  facilitate  the  overland  trade  from  China  and  Japan.  There 
was  a  general  rejoicing  as  the  last  spike  was  driven,  for  communication  was 


TIIK  STORY  OK  ITS  TROORKSS  AND  GROWTH. 


52r 


iii.ulc  with  the  entire  tclc^jraph  system  of  the  country,  and  the  blows  of  the 
hammer  were  recordeil  in  the  tele^jraph  offices  in  all  parts  of  the  laiul. 

An  extensive  insurrection  arose  in  Cuba  with  which  many  citizens  of  the 
United  States  were  in  close  sympathy,  but  the  Government  wisely  main- 
tained neutrality,  and  measures  were  taken  to  suppress  all  fillibusterinjj.  A 
number  of  gunboats  ordered  by  the  Spanish  Government  were  detained  in 
the  United  States  on  suspicion  that  they  were  to  be  used  against  Peru.  They 
were  released.  There  arose  much  excitement  (and  war  was  threatened) 
growing  out  of  the  seizure  of  the  steamship  Virginius  in  Cuba  while  flying 
the  American  flag,  under  the  belief  that  she  was  bringing  arms  and  supplies 
t(j  the  Cuban  insurgents.  A  number  of  her  passengers  and  her  captain  were 
shot  by  the  Spanish  authorities.  The  whole  matter  was  finally  settled  by 
diplomacy.  The  Virginius  was  sunk  at  sea  while  being  conveyed  to  the 
United  States  in  a  gale  off  Cape  Fear. 

There  was  a  violation  of  the  neutrality  laws  in  1870  by  a  large  band  of 
Irishmen  known  as  ^'enians,  who  assembled  to  the  number  of  three  thousand 
on  the  borders  of  Canada  in  the  State  of  Vermont.  They  invaded  that 
province  with  the  intention  of  freeing  Ireland  by  some  vague  plan.  The  two 
governments  suppressed  the  troubje,  and  our  adopted  Irish  citizens  have  not 
since  then  attempted  to  violate  the  neutrality  laws  in  force  between  the  two 
countries. 

The  United  States  had  long  desired  some  territory  in  the  West  Indies, 
and  in  1869  a  treaty  was  made  with  Hayti  by  which  that  island  was  to  be 
annexed  to  the  United  States;  but  the  Senate  did  not  ratify  it,  and  thus  the 
movement  in  that  direction  ceased  to  be  a  government  measure.  The  survey 
of  a  proposed  inter-oceanic  canal  across  the  Isthmus  of  Darien  was  made 
by  an  exploration  under  Commander  Selfridge  in  1870. 

In  the  year  1871  two  of  the  most  destructive  fires  that  ever  visited  this 
country  amounting  to  a  national  calamity  occurred.  In  October  of  that  year 
the  greater  portion  of  Chicago  was  swept  by  the  flames,  which  raged  for  forty- 
eight  hours  and  devastated  two  thousand  acres  of  territory  and  destroyed 
two  hundred  million  dollars*  worth  of  property.  This  disaster  called  forth 
the  sympathy  and  material  aid  of  the  civilized  and  commercial  world.  The 
next  month,  November,  the  fire  fiend  swept  away  the  very  center  of  Boston, 
destroying  seventy-five  million  dollars  worth  of  property. 

President  Grant  found  at  the  opening  of  his  first  term  of  ofTice  the  ques- 
tion of  the  Alabama  claims  an  open  one  with  the  English  Government.     A 


•1 


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;  > 


t  • 


I' 


•  A 


l.J  '. 
}■;■** 


mh  ^  I 


^t?  .    ! 


B 


W  '^ 


522 


OUR  NATION 


ill'  f '•• 


S(    > 


««-ii 


joint  commission  was  proposed  by  the  United  States,  and  England  agreed  to 
it.  This  "joint  high  commission  "  met  at  Washington  May  8th,  1871,  and 
completed  a  treaty  referring  the  whole  matter  at  issue  to  a  court  of  arbitra- 
tion. 

This  treaty  was  at  once  ratified  by  both  countries.  There  were  four  im- 
portant questions  involved:  ist.  The  settlement  of  all  claims  by  either 
government  growing  out  of  losses  sustained  during  the  Civil  War.  2d.  The 
permanent  settlement  of  the  American  coast  fisheries.  3d.  The  free  naviga- 
tion of  certain  r'^'ers,  including  the  St.  Lawrence,  and,  4th.  The  settlement 
of  the  boundary  between  Vancouver's  Island  and  the  mainland  on  the  Pacific 
coast.  The  first  question  was  referred  to  a  tribunal  of  arbitration,  which  mot 
at  Geneva,  Switzerland,  December  15th,  1871,  and  adjourned  to  June  i  jtli, 
1872.  The  final  meeting  of  this  tribunal  was  held  September  14th,  1872.  By 
their  award  Great  Britain  was  to  pay  to  the  United  States  the  sum  of  fifteen 
million  five  hundred  thousand  dollars  in  gold,  as  an  award  for  losses  sustained 
by  the  depredations  of  the  Alabama  and  other  British-built  privateers  during 
the  Civil  War.  The  money  was  paid  the  following  year.  The  fourth  ques- 
tion was  referred  to  the  Emperor  of  Germany,  who  decided  in  favor  of  tlie 
United  States,  giving  to  that  Republic  tjie  island  of  San  Juan,  which  had 
been  in  dispute. 

The  other  important  measures  and  events  of  General  Grant's  first  term 
were  the  adoption  of  weather  signals  by  means  of  the  Morse  telegraph  under 
control  of  the  National  Signal  Service.  This  has  proved  of  inestimable  value 
to  American  commerce  and  agriculture.  The  apportionment  of  representa- 
tives to  Congress,  by  which  there  was  one  representative  to  ','very  one  hundred 
and  thirty-seven  thousand  eight  hundred  population,  making  two  hundred 
and  eighty-three  members  in  all.  A  new  pension  law  was  passed  in  aid  of  all 
Union  soldiers  who  had  suffered  the  loss  of  limbs  or  health  in  the  late  war. 
Early  in  1873  the  franking  privilege  was  abolished,  by  which  much  money 
was  saved  to  the  Post-Officc  Department.  In  1872  an  important  embassy  of 
twenty-one  officials  of  the  Chinese  Government  visited  the  United  .States, 
and  the  Grand  Duke  Alexis  of  Russia  also  came  to  this  country.  Steps  were 
taken  to  celeb;  "»te  the  centennial  anniversary  of  American  independence, 
which  would  occur  in  1876,  by  a  display  at  Philadelphia  of  the  industries  of 
all  nations. 

The  political  campaign  of  1872  was  begun  in  May  by  the  nomination  of 
Horace  Greeley  for  President  and  B.  Gratz  Brown  for  Vice-President  by  a 


THE  STORY  OF  ITS  PROGRESS  AND  GROWTH. 


523 


convention  of  "  liberal  Republicans."  The  Democratic  party  coalesced  \vith 
them  and  ratified  the  same  nominations  on  July  gih.  The  Rf^publicans  re- 
nominated General  Grant  for  President  and  Henry  Wilson  for  Vice-President 
June  5th.  The  election  resulted  in  retaining  General  Grant  for  a  second 
term  and  making  Mr.  Wilson  Vice-President. 

The  relation  of  the  troublesome  Mormon  question  to  the  general  govern- 
ment agitated  the  public  mind  to  some  extent  during  this  time.  The  system 
of  polygamy  was  strongly  intrenched  in  the  very  heart  of  the  Continent,  and 
a  petition  signed  by  twenty-five  hundred  women  of  Utah  in  its  favor  was 
presented  to  Congress.  The  elective  franchise  had  been  given  to  the  female 
sex,  and  out  of  a  large  vote  in  favor  of  a  State  Constitution  nearly  one-half ' 
of  the  ballots  were  cast  by  women.  There  had  been  population  enough  in 
Utah  for  some  time  to  constitute  a  State,  but  Congress  refused  to  admit  it 
with  the  fystem  of  polygamy. 

The  second  term  of  General  Grant  as  President  began  March  4th,  1873^ 
and  his  nominations  for  Cabinet  officers  were  at  once  confirmed  by  the  Senate. 
The  country  was  prosperous  and  rapidly  recuperating  from  the  sad  effects  of 
the  war.  The  improvement  in  the  feelings  between  the  South  and  the  North 
was  very  marked,  growing  out  of  the  leniency  with  which  the  Government 
treated  those  lately  in  arms  against  it. 

The  Indian  troubles  assumed  unusual  proportions  during  the  second 
term  of  Grant's  administration.  The  humane  policy  inaugurated  at  the  be- 
ginning of  his  first  term  had  not  resulted  in  all  that  was  hoped  for  it.  The 
trouble  seemed  to  be  in  the  fact  that  the  Government  treated  the  tribes  of 
Indians  as  distinct  nations,  and  made  treaties  vvith  them,  appointed  agents 
and  commissioners,  supplied  them  with  bounties  and  subsidies,  and  compelled 
them  to  remain  upon  reservations  set  apart  for  them.  The  men  who  were 
acting  as  Indian  agents  were  not  always  true  men  and  caused  ill  feelings  on 
the  part  of  the  red  men.  Not  far  from  three  hundred  tliousand  Indians  are 
living  in  the  States,  of  whom  about  one  third  are  civilizf^d  or  half  civilized. 
The  remainder  are  in  a  savage  state. 

General  Custer  was  sent  into  the  Dakota  region  in  1874  with  a  military  and 
exploring  expedition,  and  gave  such  a  glov/ing  account  of  the  country  as  to 
excite  the  mining  population  to  enter  and  prospect  for  the  precious  metals, 
in  great  numbers.  At  the  close  of  1874  a  bill  was  introduced  into  Congress 
to  extinguish  as  much  of  the  title  to  the  Black  Hills  reservation  as  lay  within 
the  territory  of  Dakota.     This  greatly  irritated  the  chiefs  of  the  Sioux,  tor 


■mi 


\ .. 


5 


l|fii  •  \ 


Mm- 1  tl 


-.i^iff^i!!  i  ': 


■•im'ii  '■ 
lllii 


■} 

I 


524 


OUR  NATION 


in 


they,  with  great  show  of  justice,  regarded  it  as  a  step  toward  robbing  them  of 
their  lawful  domain.  A  national  geologist,  guarded  by  a  large  military  escort, 
went  to  this  region  early  in  1875,  and  the  Indians  began  preparations  for  war. 
A  strong  force  of  troops  was  sent  to  the  Yellowstone  region  early  in  1876, 
and  were  arranged  into  three  divisions,  General  A.  H.  Terry  in  chief  com- 
mand. The  three  columns  were  commanded  respectively  by  Generals  Terrv, 
Cooke  and  Gibbon,  intended  to  form  the  meshes  of  a  net  into  which  they  ex 
pected  to  ensnare  Sittmg  Bull,  the  warlike  chief  of  the  Sioux.  General 
Gibbon  had  a  fight  with  the  Indians  on  June  17th,  when  he  was  obliged  to 
fall  back.  General  Custer,  with  General  Terry  and  his  stafT,  joined  Gibbon 
*  on  the  Yellowstone,  near  Rose  Bud  Creek.  Custer  was  ordered  to  make  an 
attack  with  his  force,  which  consisted  of  the  Seventh  United  States  Cavalry. 
He  and  Gibbon  advanced  to  the  Big  Horn  River,  and  Custer,  comiiig  up  with 
the  Indians  first,  gave  them  battle  without  waiting  for  Gibbon,  and  falling 
into  an  Indian  ambush  was  killed,  with  the  greater  part  of  his  men.  Many 
gallant  officers  and  men  were  slain  in  this  terrible  encounter,  including  two  of 
Custer's  brothers  and  a  brother-in-law. 

This  was  on  June  25th,  1876.  At  once  the  Government  sent  a  large- 
force  to  this  region.  The  Sioux  evaded  a  contest  with  them  and  the  troops 
went  into  winter  quarters.  Sitting  Bull  with  his  followers  retired  to  the 
British  Possessions,  v/hither  the  United  States  troops  could  not  follow  him. 

The  Government  had  a  war  with  the  Nez-Perce  (nose-pierced)  Indians 
in  1875.  They  had  been  a  peaceable  and  friendly  tribe  since  the  time  of 
Jefferson,  when  the  early  explorers  had  come  to  their  country.  They  were 
living  happy  and  contented  in  the  fertile  Walla-Walla  Valley.  When  agents 
were  first  sent  to  them  they  had  been  a  little  dissatisfied,  but  there  had  been 
no  outbreak.  Now  the  settlers  had  begun  to  crowd  upon  them,  and  treaties 
were  made  with  a  part  of  the  tribe  to  remove  to  a  reservation  upon  the  Gov- 
ernment paying  them  a  certain  fixed  annuity.  But  an  old  chief,  by  the  naiwo 
of  Joseph,  who  had  taken  no  part  in  the  treaty,  refused  to  leave,  and  in  1873 
Grant  had  ordered  that  they  should  not  be  molested.  When  the  avaricious 
whites  began  to  encroach  upon  the  domains  of  this  tribe  the  President  was 
induced  to  revoke  this  order,  and  in  1875  a  force  was  sent  to  compel  them  to 
move  at  a  given  time.  Before  the  time  came  Joseph  became  incensed  at  the 
encroachments  of  the  white  settlers,  and  about  twenty  white  people  were 
murdered.  War  was  begun,  and  lasted  until  the  Indians  were  forced  again 
to  make  a  humiliating  treaty  in  1877.     These  measures  embittered  that  part 


THE  STORY  OF  ITS  PROGRESS  AND  GROWTH. 


525 


of  the  tribe  which  had  not  engaged  in  the  war,  and  they  became  enemies  of 
the  Government. 

Sitting  Bull,  who  had  gone  to  the  British  Possessions  with  his  warriors 
in  1876,  was  an  unwelcome  guest  there,  but  he  remained  stubborn  and  sullen. 
The  United  States  sent  several  commissioners  to  treat  with  him,  but  he  re- 
garded them  with  contempt  until  1880.  The  British  authorities  had  informed 
him  that  if  he  attempted  to  cross  into  the  United  States  with  hostile  inten- 
tions that  Government  would  join  with  the  United  States  in  making  war  upon 
him.  Finally  he  ofTered,  in  1880,  to  surrender  with  his  braves,  and  a  thousand 
of  them  did  so  in  the  early  part  of  1881,  but  their  wily  chieftain  did  not  give 
himself  up  until  some  time  later.  Colorado,  the  "  Centennial  State,"  was 
admitted  into  the  Union  July  4th,  1876. 

The  year  1876  was  the  "  centennial  year"  and  the  year  for  a  Presidential 
election.  The  celebration  of  the  opening  new  year  was  very  general  through- 
out the  United  States,  with  bonfires  and  the  ringing  of  bells  as  the  old  year 
and  century  passed.  The  events  of  the  political  arena  were  the  impeach- 
ment of  Mr  Belknap,  Secretary  of  War,  for  maladministration  of  office.  He 
was  acquitted  in  August.  A  resolution  for  submitting  another  amendment 
to  the  Cons'iitution  was  passed  in  the  House,  but  defeated  in  the  Senate. 
At  the  end  jf  June  a  resolution  to  provide  for  the  coinage  of  ten  millions  of 
silver  currency  was  passed,  and  very  quickly  that  metal  bejcame  plenty.  The 
fractional  paper  currency,  which  had  come  in  use  during  the  war,  at  once  dis- 
appeared from  circulation.  On  June  16th  Rutherford  B.  Hayes  was  nominated 
by  the  Republican  party  for  the  Presidency  and  William  A.  Wheeler  for  Vice- 
President.  On  the  27th  of  the  same  month  the  Democratic  party  nominated 
Samuel  J.  Tilden  and  Thomas  A.  Hendricks  for  the  same  offices  respectively, 
and  a  most  exciting  canvass  was  carried  on  until  November,  of  which  we  will 
speak  hereafter. 


M 


THE  CENTENNIAL  EXHIBITION. 


There  had  been  a  wide-spread  desire  to  celebrate  the  centennial  year  in 
some  way  in  which  all  nations  could  rejoice  with  the  young  Republic  of  the 
West.  It  was  proposed  to  hold  a  gigantic  exposition  of  the  arts,  manufac- 
tures and  industries  of  all  nations  at  Philadelphia.  Invitations  were  sent  to 
other  governments  and  were  very  generally  accepted.  The  early  inception 
of  the  plan  was  set  forth  by  a  commu,  cation  of  the  Franklin  Institute  to 


\'vi 


I  ^1 1 


526 


OUR  NATION 


it'"*! 


^V.J.iii,- til     ,:     , 


the  Mayor  and  other  authorities  of  Philadelphia  asking  for  the  use  of  Fair- 
mount  Park  for  an  international  exhibition.  A  committee  of  seven  members 
of  the  municipal  government  proceeded  to  lay  the  subject  before  Congress. 
At  the  same  time  the  Legislature  of  Pennsylvania  sent  a  committee  to  Wash- 
ington  for  the  same  purpose.  On  March  3d,  1871,  an  act  was  passed  cm- 
powering  the  President  to  appoint  a  commission  for  superintending  the 
exhibition,  and  an  alternate  commission  from  each  State  and  Territory  in  the 
Union.  These  commissioners  met  at  Philadephia  on  March  4th,  1872,  and 
when  twenty-four  States  and  three  Territories  were  represented.  "  The 
United  States  Centennial  Commission,"  was  organized  by  the  choice  of  Joseph 
R.  Hawley,  of  Connecticut,  as  president,  with  five  vice-presidents,  a  temporary 
secretary,  an  executive  committee  and  a  solicitor.  John  S.  Campbell  after- 
ward became  permanent  secretary.  A  Centennial  Board  of  Finance  was 
appointed  in  1873,  and  on  the  4th  day  of  July  of  that  year  the  authorities 
formally  surrendered  the  grounds  to  the  commission. 

There  were  five  gi  and  buildings  erected,  the  Main  Building,  Art  Gallery, 
Machinery  Hall,  Agricultural  Hall  and  Horticultural  Hall.  The  applications 
for  space  from  foreign  governments  was  so  great  that  it  was  seen  that  the 
work  done  by  women  would  be  thrown  out  or  lost  in  the  maze  of  other  ex- 
hibits, and  therefore  the  women  of  America  raised  thirty  thousand  dollars  to 
build  a  Woman's  J'avilion.  The  first  five  buildings  named  covered,  in  tlie 
aggregate,  seventy-five  acres  of  ground,  and  cost  the  sum  of  four  million  four 
hundred  and  forty-four  thousand  dollars.  There  were  besides  these  mentioned 
a  number  of  other  buildings  erected  by  the  several  States  and  Territories  and 
by  foreign  nations,  as  well  as  ty  individual  exhibitors,  in  all  amounting  to 
one  hundred  and  ninety. 

At  the  beginning  of  1876  there  \vere  lacking  funds  to  the  amount  of  one 
and  one  half  million  dollars  to  make  it  a  success  upon  the  plan  that  every 
one  interested  thought  should  be  carried  out.  Congress  advanced  the  money, 
with  the  provison  that  it  should  be  returned  out  of  the  proceeds  of  the  Ex- 
position. 

The  jxhibition  was  formally  opened  on  the  designated  day.  May  loth, 
with  imposing  ceremonies.  The  President  of  the  United  States  received  the 
presentation  of  the  grounds  and  buildings  from  the  President  of  the  Centen- 
nial Commission,  and  the  Stars  and  Stripes  were  unfurled  upon  the  Main 
Building,  to  signify  that  the  Exposition  was  opened  to  the  public.  The  total 
number  of  admissions  to  the  grounds  was  9,910,965,  at  an  admission  fee  of 


THE  STORY  OF  ITS  PROGRESS  AND  GROWTH. 


527 


fifty  cents  each.  In  the  month  of  October  there  were  2,663,91 1  persons 
passed  the  several  gates.  Thirty-six  States  had  exhibits,  and  most  of  the 
foreign  governments.  We  will  speak  of  the  material  effects  of  this  Exposi- 
tion further  on. 

The  day  of  the  national  election  came,  and  the  result  was  in  great  doubt, 
owing  to  two  sets  of  returns  from  each  of  the  States  of  Louisiana,  Florida 
and  South  Carolina.  Both  parties  claimed  the  presidency,  and  for  the  first 
time  in  the  history  of  the  country  each  party  claimed  the  electior  of  its 
candidate.  One  hundred  and  eighty-five  votes  in  the  Electoral  College  were 
necessary  to  a  choice.  It  was  at  once  conceded  that  Mr.  Tilden  had  one 
hundred  and  eighty-four.  Representative  men  from  both  parties  went  to  the 
questionable  States  to  watch  the  official  counting  of  the  votes.  Exciteu.jnt 
ran  high,  and  there  were  muttered  threats  of  revolution.  The  United  States 
troops  in  Louisiana  and  South  Carolina  were  under  orders  November  loth  to 
be  in  instant  readiness  to  preserve  the  peace.  The  air  of  Washington  was 
filled  by  mutual  accusations  and  charges  of  fraud.  The  way  to  settle  the 
matter  in  such  a  contingency  was  not  clearly  defined  by  the  Constitution, 
and  it  was  at  length  agreed  to  submit  the  decision  of  the  question  to  an 
Electoral  Commission,  composed  of  an  equal  number  of  both  parties.  A 
committee  similarly  constituted  was  to  report  a  bill  to  put  this  in  effect.  On 
January  i8th,  1877,  they  reported  the  bill,  which  provided  that  five  members, 
from  the  House  and  five  from  the  Senate,  with  five  justices  of  the  Supreme 
Court,  should  ct)nstitute  the  Commission,  to  be  presided  over  by  the  justice 
longest  in  commission.  Both  parties  agreed  that  the  decision  of  the  board 
should  be  final.  The  bill  was  passed  and  signed  by  the  President  on  January 
29th.  The  next  day  the  Senate  appointed  Messrs.  Edmonds,  Morton,  Fre- 
linghuysen,  Thurman  and  l^ayard.  The  first  three  were  Republicans,  the 
others  were  Democrats.  The  House  of  Representatives  appointed  Messrs. 
Payne,  Hunton,  Abbot,  Garfield,  and  Hoar,  the  first  three  of  whom  were 
Democrats,  and  the  others  Republicans.  Associate  Justices  Clifford,  Miller, 
Field,  and  Strong  were  appointed,  and  they  chose  Joseph  P.  Bradley  for  the 
fifth.  They  met  in  the  Hall  of  Representatives  on  February  ist.  The  com- 
mission did  not  reach  its  final  decision  until  March  3d,  when  they  declared 
Rutherford  B.  Hayes  duly  elected  President  of  the  United  States. 


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ADMINISTRATION   OF    RUTHERFORD   B.    HAYES. 

The  nineteenth  President  was  inaugurated  March  5th,  1877,  Chief  Jus- 
tice Waite  administering  the  oath  ot  office.  Hayes  nominated  his  Cabinet, 
and  they  were  at  once  confirmed  by  the  Senate.  He  began  with  a  kindly, 
conciliatory  policy  toward  the  South,  and  endeavored  by  every  means  to 
produce  the  best  of  feelings  among  the  citizens  of  the  distracted  States.  He 
appointed  Mr.  Key,  of  Tennessee,  one  of  the  military  leaders  in  the  Con- 
federate army,  Postmaster-General.  The  United  States  troops  were  removed 
from  the  Southern  States,  and  left  the  management  of  the  public  affairs  in 
the  hands  of  their  own  civil  leaders.  He  pronounced  in  favor  of  civil  service 
reform.  An  extra  session  of  the  forty-fifth  Congress  had  to  be  called 
(October  15th,  1878)  to  provide  for  a  deficiency  of  $35,000,000,  which  had  not 
been  appropriated  to  pay  the  expenses  of  militiry  service.  The  object  was 
not  attained,  for  debates  of  an  exciting  partisan  character  consumed  the 
time,  and  showed  a  disposition  to  block  the  wheels  of  government.  A  bill 
opposed  to  Chinese  emigration  was  passed  by  Congress  and  vetoed  by  the 
President,  and  the  opposition,  having  the  power,  failed  to  pass  the  appropria- 
tion bills.  Another  special  session  was  called,  to  convene  on  March  i8th, 
1879,  when  the  House  passed  appropriation  bills  with  such  obnoxiou  •re- 
visions for  extraneous  matters  that  the  President  vetoed  them,  after  which 
the  bills  were  passed  with  the  unsatisfactory  measures  omitted,  and  he  signed 
them.     This  session  adjourned  July  1st. 

There  was  an  immense  exodus  of  negroes  from  the  Lower  Mississippi 
States  and  the  Carolinas  to  Kansas  and  Indiana  in  1879,  which  caused  Con- 
gress to  appoint  a  committee  to  inquire  into  its  cause.  The  results  obtained 
did  not  prove  in  any  way  satisfactory. 

Specie  payment  was  resumed  January  ist,  1879,  after  having  been  sus- 
pended for  eighteen  years.  The  business  of  the  country  had  been  in  a  de- 
pressed condition  since  the  great  panic  of  1873,  but  it  now  began  to  rapidly 
improve.  In  opposition  to  this  measure  there  arose  a  "Greenback  party," 
which  clamored  for  an  unlimited  issue  of  irredeemable  greenbacks,  as  the 
national  paper  currency  was  then  called.  They  prophesied  the  financial  ruin 
of  the  country  to  result  from  a  specie  currency,  and  have  waited  to  the  present 
time  to  see  it  come,  but  instead  the  country  has  been  prospering  in  all  de- 
partments. There  was  a  fearful  outbreak  of  the  Ute  Indians  in  1879.  The 
government  agent,  N.  C.  Meeker,  was  murdered,  and  for  a  time  a  general 


THE  STORY  OF  ITS  PROGRESS  AND  GROWTH. 


529 


Indian  uprising  was  feared.  Major  Thornburg  was  sent  against  them,  but 
he  and  ten  of  his  men  were  killed,  and  the  rest  were  surrounded  for  six  days. 
The  troops  intrenched  and  held  out  until  succor  arrived,  and  soon  the  Utcs 
were  put  down.  A  joint  resolution,  having  for  its  design  the  enfranchisement 
of  women,  was  introduced  into  the  House  of  Representatives  on  January 
30th,  1880.  The  same  in  substance  was  presented  to  the  Senate  January  19th. 
It  is  known  as  the  Sixteenth  Amendment  to  the  Constitution. 

The  project  of  an  inter-oceanic  canal  was  revived  by  a  visit  to  this 
country,  in  1880,  of  M.  de  Lesseps,  the  engineer  of  the  Suez  Canal.  He 
examined  the  Isthmus,  and  declared  his  belief  in  the  feasibility  of  the  scheme. 
The  President  sent  a  message  to  Congress  March  8th,  1880,  in  which  he 
apprised  the  world  that  it  is  the  duty  of  the  United  States  to  assert  and 
maintain  such  supervision  over  an  enterprise  of  this  kind  as  \vill  protect  our 
national  interests. 

The  presidential  election  of  1880  was  one  of  intense  interest,  and  party 
spirit  ran  high.  There  were  four  candidates  in  the  field.  James  A.  Garfield 
and  Chester  A.  Arthur  were  nominated  by  the  Republicans  on  June  2d,  On 
the  9th,  the  Greenback  party  nominated  James  B.  Weaver  and  Benjamin  J. 
Chambers.  The  Prohibition  party  put  in  nomination  Neal  Dow  and  A.  H. 
Thompson  on  June  17th.  The  Democratic  party  assembled  in  Chicago  on 
June  22d,  and  nominated  W^infield  S.  Hancock  and  William  H,  English. 
There  is  another  fact  which,  if  not  mentioned  in  history,  would  be  soon  for- 
gotten. There  was  another  party  in  the  field,  whose  candidates  were  John 
W.  Phelps  and  Samuel  C.  Pomeroy.  It  was  the  Anti-masonic  party.  All 
of  the  four  candidates  for  President  had  been  generals  in  the  Union  army. 
The  canvass  was  particularly  spirited  and  bitter.  The  excitement  ran  high, 
and  many  rumors  were  put  in  circulation  which  had  no  foundation  in  fact. 
James  A.  Garfield  was  elected  by  an  unquestionable  majority.  On  the  28th 
day  of  February  the  President  elect  left  his  home  at  Mentor,  Ohio,  and  in 
company  with  his  family  proceeded  to  Washington,  accompanied  by  his  aged 
mother. 

A  special  scssior.  of  the  Senate  was  called  to  confirm  the  nominations  of 
the  new  President. 


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OUR  NATION: 


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ADMINISTRATION  OF  JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 

TllK  inaugural  address  of  President  Garfield  met  with  the  general  appro- 
bation  of  the  country.  The  chief  points  were:  equal  protection  for  all  with- 
out respect  to  race  or  color;  universal  education  as  a  safeguard  of  suffrage; 
an  honest  coinage;  the  funding  of  the  national  debt  at  a  lower  rate  of  in- 
terest; the  prohibition  of  polygamy  and  the  regulation  of  the  civil  service. 
These  were  well  received  by  all  parties  and  the  administration  started  off  witii 
high  hopes.  The  Senate  of  the  United  States  was  so  evenly  divided  between 
the  two  great  parties  that  at  the  beginning  of  the  administration  of  General 
Garfield  there  was  quite  an  animated  contest  over  the  appointment  of  officers 
for  that  body.  This  caused  a  dead-lock  for  a  number  of  weeks.  There  had 
been  a  gentleman  nominated  by  the  President  for  the  office  of  Collector  of 
the  port  of  New  York,  who  was  distasteful  to  the  senior  Senator  from  that 
State,  Roscoe  Conklin,  and  because  the  Senate  confirmed  the  nomination  tlie 
latter,  with  his  colleague,  resigned  and  left  that  great  State  unrepresented  in 
the  United  States  Senate  till  an  election  of  their  successors.  The  Legislature 
of  New  York  was  in  session  at  Albany,  and  at  once  there  began  an  exciting 
canvass  for  the  election  of  the  United  States  Senators.  This  lasted  for  several 
weeks  and  finally  resulted  in  the  retirement  of  Mr.  Conklin  and  his  colleague 
to  private  life  and  the  election  of  two  other  gentlemen  to  take  their  places. 
In  the  mean  time  Congress  had  been  performing  its  regular  work.  A  treaty 
with  China  concerning  immigration  and  commerce ;  with  the  United  States 
of  Columbia  in  regard  to  extradition  of  criminals;  a  consular  convention  with 
Italy;  a  convention  with  Morocco  and  a  reciprocal  treaty  with  Japan  con- 
cerning shipwrecked  sailors  had  received  the  attention  of  Government.  On 
May  i8th  the  Senate  postponed  the  resolution  reasserting  the  Monroe  doc- 
trine. 

The  country  was  startled  on  the  eve  of  a  general  wide-spread  celebration 
of  the  anniversary  of  American  independence  by  the  news  that  the  President 
of  the  United  States  had  been  shot  by  an  assassin  and  would  probably  die. 
This  diabolical  crime  had  been  committed  at  the  passenger  depot  of  the  Haiti- 
more  and  Potomac  Railroad  at  Washington  on  Saturday  morning,  July  2d. 
Hon.  J.  G.  Blaine,  the  Secretary  of  State,  and  the  President  were  walking 
arm-in-urm  through  the  waiting-room  when  two  pistol  shots  were  fired  in 
quick  succession  from  the  rear.  One  shot  penetrated  the  President's  body, 
and  he  was  carried  wounded  to  a  room  in  the  second  story  of  the  depot,  and 


THE  STORY  OF  ITS  PROGRESS  AND  GROWTH. 


531 


as  soon  as  possible  removed  to  the  White  House.  The  assassin  was  at  once 
arrested  by  a  police  officer  and  tiken  to  the  jail.  He  proved  to  be  Charles 
J.  Guiteau,  a  man  of  ^reat  self-'^onceit  and  little  ability,  who  had  been  for 
months  beseeching  the  Pr»\.ident  and  the  Secretary  of  State  for  an  official 
appointment,  and  at  length,  becoming  incensed  at  not  receiving  the  attention 
lie  thought  he  merited,  he  resolved  upon  revenge.  It  may  have  been  that 
his  unbalanced  mind  was  inflamed  by  the  discussions  going  on  in  the  Repub- 
lican party.  The  President,  before  leaving  the  depot  where  he  had  been 
shot,  caused  a  telegram  to  be  sent  to  Mrs.  Garfield,  who  was  at  Long  Branch, 
to  relieve  her  of  any  undue  anxiety  in  regard  to  his  condition.  It  was  in 
these  words: 

"  The  President  desires  me  to  s-iy  to  you  from  him  that  he  has  been  seriously  hurt,  how  seriously 
he  cannot  yet  say.     lie  is  himself  and  hopes  you  will  come  to  him  soon.     He  sends  his  love  to  you. 

A.    I'.    KOCKWKI.I.." 

Contrary  to  the  expectations  of  the  attending  physicians  the  President  did 
not  die  at  once,  but  seemed  to  rally,  and  hopes  were  entertained  of  his  final 
recovery.  The  deepest  gloom  was  over  the  nation,  and  North  and  South 
alike  felt  the  fearful  shock  of  the  blow.  The  celebrations  which  were  planned 
for  July  4th  in  all  parts  of  the  country  were  abandoned.  Messages  of  sym- 
])athy  and  condolence  came  from  all  parts  of  the  civilized  world.  Crowned 
heads  in  several  countries,  American  citizens  in  foreign  lands,  every  form  of 
association,  commercial,  social,  benevolent,  political  and  religious,  vied  with 
each  other  in  tendering  the  deepest  expressions  of  sympathy  in  this  hour  of 
sadness.  Most  heartfelt  and  touching  were  the  kind  words  sent  by  the 
widowed  Queen  of  Great  Britain.  Then  followed  the  long  and  painful  struggle 
for  life  which  lasted  for  weary  weeks.  There  were  repeated  relapses  and 
rallyings,  which  caused  the  nation  to  alternate  between  the  hope  of  final 
recovery  and  the  despair  of  sorrow,  until  September  i6th  he  had  an  alarming 
relapse.  He  was  at  Long  Branch,  where  he  had  been  carried  in  the  most 
careful  manner  by  a  special  train  from  Washington  to  the  very  door  of  the 
cottage  where  he  was  to  die.  The  struggle  for  life  had  been  heroic,  persistent 
and  patient,  but  the  President  must  die.  At  10:55  Monday,  September  19th, 
he  drew  his  last  breath,  and  thus  passed  away  the  man  who  had  risen  from 
the  humble  position  of  a  driver  on  a  canal  to  the  proudest  station  in  the  gift 
of  a  great  people.  This  sad  ending  of  an  eventful  life  had  filled  the  country 
with  gloom  and  foreboding.  Instantly  the  painful  news  was  telegraphed  all 
over  the  world,  and  the  messages  of  condolence  and  kindest  sympathy  poured 


'   ■ 


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532 


OUR  NATION: 


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in  from  every  quarter  of  the  globe.     The  noble  Queen  of  England  sent  a 

message  to  her  not  less  noble  sister  in  America,  Mrs.  Garfield,  in  the  follow- 

ing  words: 

"  Words  cannot  express  the  deep  sympathy  1  feel  for  you  at  this  moment.     May  God  support  and 
comfort  you  as  lie  alone  can.  The  Quekn." 

The  Cabinet  at  once  summoned  Vice-President  Arthur  to  take  the  oath 
of  office  without  delay,  and  he  did  so  at  a  little  after  midnight,  on  September 
20th.  The  oath  was  administered  by  Judge  John  R.  Brady,  of  the  Supreme 
Court,  in  New  York.  The  remains  of  the  dead  President  were  conveyed  to 
Washington,  where  they  lay  in  state  in  tli";  Rotunda  of  the  Capitol  for  two 
days.  The  floral  tributes  were  of  the  most  beautiful  and  expensive  kind; 
and  throughout  the  entire  country  the  tokens  of  mourning  were  displayed 
from  public  and  private  buildings.  The  mansions  of  the  rich  and  the  homes 
of  the  humble  poor;  the  large  commercial  palaces  of  business  and  the  humble 
stand  of  the  street  vender;  the  massive  factory  of  the  wealthy  corporation 
and  the  shop  of  the  mechanic,  all  alike  were  decked  with  some  emblem  of 
mourning.  The  South  vied  with  the  North,  and  the  whole  country  united 
in  their  heartfelt  expressions  of  sorrow. 


'^iii 


V    'i' 


\  hi 


'" 


ADMINISTRATION  OF  CHESTER  A.  ARTHUR. 

President  Arthur  was  formally  inaugurated  in  Washington  on  Sep- 
tember 22d.  The  oath  was  re-administered  by  Chief  Justice  Waite  in  the 
presence  of  Mr.  Garfield's  Cabinet,  ex-Presidents  Grant  and  Hayes,  and  some 
military  and  civil  officers.  He  then  delivered  a  brief  inaugural  address,  and 
immediately  issued  a  proclamation  appointing  Monday,  September  26th,  as 
a  day  of  fasting,  humiliation  and  prayer.  He  called  an  extra  session  of  the 
Senate,  to  meet  October  loth. 

The  body  of  the  late  President  was  removed  from  Washington,  after 
appropriate  religious  services,  and  conveyed  by  a  military  guard,  accom- 
panied by  a  Congressional  Committee  and  prominent  citizens.  Among  the 
many  emblems  which  were  presented  was  a  floral  ladder,  on  the  successive 
rounds  of  which  were  the  words,  "  Chester,  Hiram,  Williams,  Ohio  State 
Senator,  Colonel,  General,  Congressman,  United  States  Senator,  President 
and  Martyr."  These  names  indicated  the  upward  steps  by  which  James  A. 
Garfield  had  advanced  in  his  public  career.  Chester  was  the  seat  of  an 
obscure  seminary  where  he  began  his  education.     Hiram  is  the  name  of  an 


THE  STORY  OF  ITS  PROGRESS  AND  GROWTH. 


533 


insignificant  college  where  he  was  a  teacher,  and  Williams  is  the  college  where 
he  graduated.     The  other  titles  explain  themselves. 

The  last  public  services  over  the  remains  were  performed  in  the  presence 
of  two  hundred  thousand  citizens  in  the  cemetery  at  Cleveland,  Ohio.  There 
were  services  in  all  the  cities  and  towns  in  the  country  at  the  same  time.  On 
the  23d  of  October  the  body  was  quietly  transferred  from  the  receiving  tomb 
to  the  private  vault  of  Captain  L.  T.  Schoficld,  in  Lake  View  Cemetery. 

The  special  session  of  the  Senate  met  October  loth,  and  the  P'-esidcnt's 
nominations  for  Cabinet  oflficers  were  confirmed.  They  were  as  follows: 
E.  T.  Frelinghuysen  for  Secretary  of  State;  Chas.  J.  Folger,  Secretary  of 
Treasury;  Samuel  J.  Kirkwood,  Secretary  of  the  Interior;  Robert  T.  Lincoln, 
Secretary  of  War;  Wm.  A.  Hunt,  Secretary  of  Navy;  Benjamin  H.  Brewster, 
Attorney-General,  and  Timothy  O.  Howe,  Postraaster-General.  Other  nom- 
inations were  confirmed  and  the  routine  business  of  the  Executive  Depart- 
ment, which,  to  some  extent,  had  been  interrupted  by  the  illness  and  death 
of  the  late  President,  was  resumed.  The  Senate  had  considerable  trouble  in 
organization,  growing  out  of  the  even  division  of  the  two  great  parties.  It 
ended  in  the  election  of  David  Davis,  of  Illinois,  as  Vrcsidcnt  />ro  Um/orc  of 
the  Senate. 

The  centennial  celebration  of  the  surrender  of  Cornwallis  at  Yorktown, 
at  the  close  of  the  War  of  vhe  Revolution,  was  an  occasion  of  great  national 
interest.  A  grand  naval  review  and  a  military  display  on  shore,  with  histoi  ical 
addresses  and  public  festivities,  were  the  main  features  of  the  occasion.  The 
French  Government  was  represented  by  a  large  number  of  ofificials  and  a 
national  vessel.  Among  the  distinguished  guests  were  lineal  descendants  of 
Count  D'Estaing,  Lafayette  and  Rochambeau,  who  had  aided  the  patriots 
in  their  early  struggle.  Other  nations  of  Europe  were  also  represented. 
The  President  and  Cabinet,  with  the  diplomatic  corps  of  the  nativ-.os  of  the 
world,  took  part  in  the  occasion.  The  celebration  began  October  i8th,  1881, 
and  lasted  for  a  number  of  days. 

The  trial  oL  Guiteau,  the  assassin  of  President  Garfield,  was  begun  in 
November  of  the  same  year.  The  widest  latitude  was  given  the  accused  to 
present  h»s  defense.  The  counsel  were  allowed  ample  time  to  prepare  their 
answer,  and  the  brother-in-law  of  the  prisoner,  associated  with  Mr.  Reed,  his 
counsel,  undertook  the  case  for  him.  After  a  fair,  impartial  and  lengthy  tri^l, 
in  which  the  plea  of  insanity  was  strongly  urged,  Guiteau  was  found  guilty 
of  murder  and  sentenced  to  be  hanged  on  June  30th,  1882.     Two  ineffectual 


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534 


OUR  NATION: 


attempts  to  shoot  the  prisoner  were  made  durinj;  the  progress  of  the  case; 
the  first  by  a  civilian,  whose  name  was  VVm.  Jones,  on  the  26th  of  November, 
who  shot  at  him  while  being  conveyed  in  a  van  from  the  court  house  to  the 
jail.  The  second  attempt  was  by  Sergeant  Mason,  of  the  military  guard,  who 
shot  through  the  window  of  the  prisoner's  cell  and  failed  to  injure  him. 

They  were  both  brought  to  trial  and  punished  as  their  cases  demanded. 
A  number  of  unsuccessful  measures  were  taken  by  the  family  anil  legal 
advisers  of  Guiteau  to  set  aside  the  verdict,  obtain  a  new  trial,  or  induce 
President  Arthur  to  interpose  his  executive  clemency  in  favor  of  the  con- 
demned man,  but  all  of  no  avail,  and  on  the  appointed  day  he  was  hanged. 
To  the  last  he  displayed  his  egotism  and  excessive  self-conceit  by  making  a 
characteristic  speech  from  the  gallows  on  which  he  was  executed  on  June 
30th,  1882. 

The  fiir>t  regular  session  of  the  Forty-seventh  Congress  met  in  December, 
1881,  and  entt-ed  upon  a  long  and  heated  debate  upon  political  questions. 
The  people  were  demanding  a  revision  of  the  tariff  and  a  reduction  of  the 
burdens  of  taxation  occasioned  by  the  immense  war  debt  and  the  heavy  ex- 
penditures of  government.  They  were  demanding  reform  in  the  civil  service 
and  purity  in  the  administration  of  public  affairs.  The  people  of  the  Pacific 
States  were  clamoring  for  a  national  law  to  prevent  the  immigration  of 
Chinese  into  the  country.  The  opportunity  for  Congress  to  distinguish  itself 
in  passing  measures  of  great  public  benefit  was  never  more  plainly  presented. 
The  session  lasted  nearly  eight  months,  and  when,  at  last,  it  adjourned,  the 
people  felt  a  sense  of  relief,  for  its  doings  had  been  generally  unsatis- 
factory. 

Early  in  1882  the  trial  of  persons  connected  with  that  branch  of  the 
Postal  Service  known  as  "  The  Star  Route  System,"  was  begun  at  Washington 
and  continued  several  months.  They  were  charged  with  gross  frauds.  An 
incumbent  of  the  General  Post  office  and  others  in  official  stations  were  im- 
plicated, but  through  defects  in  the  jury  system  most  of  them  escaped  pun- 
ishment. 

The  President,  who  favored  Civil  Service  reform,  recommended  in  his 
annual  message  (Dec,  1881)  action  upon  it.  He  also  recommended  legisla- 
tion looking  to  the  suppression  of  Polygamy  in  the  Territory  of  Utah,  and 
offered  valuable  suggestions  concerning  the  treatment  of  the  Indians  with 
a  view  to  their  ultimate  civilization.  This  latter  topic,  so  important  to  the 
future  welfare  of  our  country  and  that  race,  still  commands  the  attention  of 


THE  STORV  OF  ITS  PRCXiRMSS  AM)  (IKOWTII. 


535 


the  people.     Much  has  been  clone  in  that  direction,  but  much  yet  remains  to 
l)c  clone  to  accomplish  the  desirable  result. 

At  different  periods  chanj^es  had  been  made  in  the  apportionment  of 
population  to  each  representative  in  Conjjress,  so  as  to  keep  the  number  of 
Representatives  (325)  nearly  the  same,  The  apportionment  made  by  Con- 
gress in  1882,  gives  a  representative  to  about  I37,cxx)  inhabitants. 

Their  peculiar  social  condition  and  habits,  with  their  cheap  labor,  made  the 
Chinese,  who  had  been  rapidly  locating  on  the  Tacific  coast,  obnoxious  to  the 
people  of  that  section,  and  a  movement  to  exclude  them  from  the  country  was 
inaugurated.  In  compliance  with  this  demand,  and  notwithstanding  the  Hur- 
lingame  treaty,  an  act  was  passed  by  Congress  in  1882  excluding  the  Chinese 
for  ten  years.  Thus  was  opened  the  great  question,  which  still  agitates  the 
country,  of  restricting  immigration  and  shutting  out  undesirable  residents. 
An  act  for  the  suppression  of  polygamy  in  Utah  also  became  a  law. 

This  session  of  Congress  closed  on  the  8th  of  August.  Between  6,000 
and  7,000  bills  had  been  presented  to  it,  but  only  251  public  acts,  233  private 
acts,  and  84  joint  resolutions  became  laws.  Commissioners  were  appointed 
to  negotiate  a  commercial  treaty  with  Me.xico,  composed  of  Gen.  U.  S.  Grant 
and  William  H.  Trescott.  That  duty  was  soon  performed,  and  the  treaty  was 
ratified  in  March,  1884.  It  provided  that  the  chief  agricultural  products  of 
Mexico  should  be  included  in  the  free  list  of  the  tariff  of  the  United  States. 
The  schedule  of  articles  to  be  admitted  free  into  Mexico  from  the  United 
States  comprised  five  great  classes  of  manufactures  and  the  chief  mineral 
products. 

A  commission  appointed  under  the  Anti-1'olygamy  act  made  a  registry 
of  the  voters  in  the  Utah  Territory.  The  Chairman  of  the  Committee  re- 
ported, in  the  autumn  of  1882,  that  one  thousand  polygamists  of  both  sexes 
had  been  disfranchised. 

The  Fall  election  in  1 882  changed  the  political  complexion  of  Congress, 
giving  to  the  House  of  Representatives  a  Democratic  majority  of  y/.  This 
was  largely  brought  about  by  the  disaffection  of  a  considerable  number  of 
"  independent  "  Republicans,  who  were  dissatisfied  with  their  party  methods. 
In  the  State  of  New  York  this  disaffection  was  most  remarkable,  the  Demo- 
cratic candidate  for  Governor  of  that  State — Grover  Cleveland — being  elected 
by  almost  2(X),ooo  majority. 

The  two  hundredth  anniversary  of  the  landing  of  William  Penn  in  America 
was  celebrated    at    Philadelphia,   with    imposing   ceremonies.      Penn   was   a 


I  i 


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536 


OUR  NATION: 


Pi'^r 


leader  of  the  sect  called  Quakers,  who  oppose  war,  and  yet  the  chief  feature 
of  that  celebration  was  a  great  military  and  naval  display. 

The  final  session  of  the  Forty-seventh  Congress  was  opened  on  Dec.  4, 

1882.  In  his  annual  message  President  Arthur  made  prominent  the  topics 
of  Civil  Service  reform  and  revenue  reform.  A  bill  for  the  promotion  of  Civil: 
Service  reform  was  introduced  into  th^  Stvate  and  became  a  law  in  January, 

1883.  Commissioners  appointed  under  it  entered  upon  their  duties.  The 
corrupt  method  of  assessing  office-holders  for  election  funds  was  forbidden 
by  an  act,  in  accordance  with  a  decision  of  the  United  States  Supreme  Court. 

The  Forty-seventh  Congress  expired  on  March  4,  1883.  It  had  reduced 
the  rate  of  letter  postage  to  two  cents.  It  had  also  passed  a  joint  resolution 
for  the  termination  of  the  treaty  with  Great  Britain  concerning  the  fisheries. 

A  commission  was  appointed  to  sit  Juring  the  recess  of  Congress  to  in- 
quire into  the  condition  of  labor  in  the  United  States,  with  a  view  to  suggest 
a  solution  of  the  great  problem  of  'jhe  true  relations  between  labor  and  capital, 
which  has  so  long  occupied  the  attention  of  statesmen  and  publicists,  and 
which  had  been  often  alluded  to  in  the  debates  during  the  session  just  clos- 
ing. That  committee  sat  in  New. York  in  the  Fall  of  1883,  but  accomplished 
no  important  result. 

Two  wonderful  achievements  of  en, 'Iiiecvii.g  skill  took  place  in  the  United 
States  in  the  year  1883.  In  May  of  hat  year  a  great  Suspension  Bridge 
over  the  East  River,  connecting  the  sister  cities  of  New  York  and  Brooklyn 
by  a  lofty  high-way.  was  completed.  President  Arthur  and  Governor  Cleve- 
land and  many  other  distinguished  persons  were  present  on  the  occasion. 
During  the  same  year  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  was  completed  by  join- 
ing the  eastern  and  western  portions,  in  the  territory  of  Montana,  in  August. 

Two  important  centennials  were  celebrated  in  1883.  At  Newburg  on 
the  Hudson  and  at  Fishkill  Village,  the  event  of  the  disbanding  of  the  Con- 
tinental Army  was  celebrated  early  in  June,  with  imposing  ceremonies.  In- 
timately connected  with  this  event,  was  the  evacuation  by  the  British  army 
of  the  city  of  New  York  on  November  25,  1783.  The  centennial  of  this 
event  was  celebrated  in  the  city  of  New  York,  on  which  occasion  a  bronze 
statue  of  Washington,  colossal  in  size,  and  standing  in  front  of  the  United 
States  Sub-treasury  building,  was  unveiled. 

The  first  session  of  the  Forty-eighth  Congress  began  on  December  3, 
1883,  when  John  G.  Carlisle  of  Kentucky  was  chosen  Speaker  of  the  House- 
of  Representatives.     In  his  annual  message,  the  President  recommended  that 


le  chief  feature 


THE  STORY  OF  ITS  PROGRESS  AND  GROWTH. 


537 


some  form  of  civil  government  should  be  given  to  the  people  of  Alaska;  also 
a  repeal  of  the  law  conferring  upon  the  people  of  Utah  territorial  power, 
and  the  "  assumption  by  Congress  of  the  entire  political  control  of  the  Terri- 
tory, and  the  establishment  of  a  Commission  with  such  powers  and  duties  as 
shall  be  delegated  to  tt  by  law." 

The  government  was  embarrassed  at  the  beginning  of  1884  by  a  surplus  of 
money  in  the  treasury.  It  >vas  found  that  it  was  receiving  from  $75,ooo,ocx)  to 
$150,000,000  from  taxes  K-ivied  on  the  people,  more  than  it  needed  for  current 
expenditures.  The  grave  question  arose,  What  shall  be  done  to  decrease  the 
receipts  or  to  dispose  of  the  surplus  ?  Four  plans  were  proposed  to  Congress. 
The  extreme  Protectionists  proposed  to  abolish  the  tax  on  whiskey  and 
tobacco,  but  leave  the  duty  on  foreign  imports  untouched.  Another  method 
proposed  was  to  divide  the  surplus  among  the  States.  A  third  proposed  to 
divide  the  whiskey  and  tobacco  tax  among  the  States;  and  a  fourth  proposed 
to  expend  the  surplus  in  measures  for  reviving  the  shipping  and  export  trade. 
The  question  yet  remains  unsolved. 

The  Mormon  problem  has  occupied  the  attention  of  the  people  and  their 
representatives  ever  since  it  was  proposed.  Measures  have  been  adopted 
which  have  grf^.itly  restrained  the  evil,  and  promise  to  lead  to  a  final  suppres- 
sion of  polygamy  in  the  United  States  in  the  near  future. 

Earnest  efforts  have  been  made  for  the  suppression  of  a  more  gigantic 
and  destructive  evil,  that  of  the  Liquor  Traffic  and  its  consequence,  wide- 
spread intemperance.  The  Census  report  of  1880  showed  that  in  one  year, 
■ending  in  June,  1880,  $900,000,000  were  paid  by  the  people  of  the  United  States 
for  intoxicating  drinks,  or  more  than  as  much  as  they  paid  for  their  bread 
and  meat.  This  great  evil  caused  the  active  efforts  of  an  organized  Prohibi- 
tion Party,  and  the  rapid  increase  of  its  adherents.  It  caused  the  formation 
in  the  Republican  Party  of  an  "Anti-Saloon  League." 

Efforts  for  the  enlightenment  of  our  people  by  decreasing  the  amount  of 
illiteracy  have  been  made.  In  the  Spring  of  1884,  a  bill  was  introduced  into 
Congress  appropriating  the  sum  of  $77,000,000  to  be  distributed  among  the 
States  and  Territories,  in  proportion  to  their  illiteracy,  on  the  basis  of  the 
Census  of  1880,  the  payments  of  the  money  to  extend  over  eight  years. 
Nothing  has  been  done.  The  test  oath,  called  the  "  iron-clad  oath,"  required 
of  all  persons  before  assuming  the  functions  of  any  public  office,  civil  or  mili- 
tary,  who  might  be  suspected  of  having  engaged  in  the  Rebellion  of  1861-65, 
was  repealed. 


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538 


OUR  NATION, 


Preparations  for  the  presidential  campaign,  in  1884,  were  made  between 
May  29  and  July  23,  when  National  Conventions  of  the  four  political  parties 
then  in  the  field  were  held.  The  Greenback  convention,  assembled  at  Indian 
apolis  on  May  29,  nominated  Benjamin  F.  Butler  for  President,  and  A.  M. 
West  for  Vice-President.  The  Republican  convention  assembled  at  Chicago, 
on  June  3d,  nominated  James  G.  Blaine  for  President,  and  John  A.  Logan  for 
Vice-President.  The  Democratic  convention  assembled  at  Chicago  July  8th, 
and  nominated  Grover  Cleveland  for  President,  and  Thomas  A.  Hendricks 
fo)  Vice-President.  The  Prohibition  convention  met  at  Pittsburg,  Penn.,  on 
July  23d,  and  nominated  John  P.  St.  John,  Ex-governor  of  Kansas,  for 
President,  and  William  Daniel  for  Vice-President.  Cleveland  and  Hendricks 
were  elected. 

The  political  canvass  in  1884  was  very  warmly  carried  on.  Independent 
Republicans,  arixious  for  refor.n  in  the  civil  service,  refused  to  vote  for  the 
candidate  of  their  Party.  Disaffection  in  the  Republican  Party  was  wide- 
spread, and  several  Republican  newspapers  supported  the  Democratic 
nominee.  The  aim  of  the  Prohibition  Party  was  and  is  to  obtain  a  national 
law  forbidding  the  manufacture,  importation  and  sale  of  intoxicating  liquors 
as  a  beverage.  They  polled  a  large  vote,  which,  with  the  votes  for  Cleveland 
of  the  disaffected  Republican  party,  secured  his  election  by  a  small  majority. 

Lieutenant  Greeley  of  the  United  States  Navy  and  a  scientific  party  had 
been  sent  to  the  Polar  regions  by  their  government  to  establish  a  post  for 
scientific  observations  at  a  high  latitude.  Failing  to  receive  supplies  in  the 
autumn  of  1883,  Greeley  established  a  peimanent  camp  on  V'est  Greenland. 
Early  in  1884  his  supplies  were  fe\v  and  very  soon  starvatio*,  began.  Relief 
vessels  were  sent  to  their  rescue,  and  when  discovered  on  June  23d  17  of 
the  party  of  25  had  perished.  The  survivors  were  brought  to  the  United 
States;  among  them  Lieutenant  Greeley. 

Another  catastrophe  to  an  American  party  in  Polar  waters  had  recently 
occurred.  The  Steamship ym««i'//i'  had  been  sent  to  the  Arctic  regions,  under 
Captain  James  H.  DeLong,  of  the  U.  S.  Navy.  The  vessel  was  not  heard 
from  in  about  two  years.  She  was  wrecked  on  the  coast  of  Siberia.  Captain 
De  Long  and  some  of  his  companions  had  reached  the  icebound  shores,  where 
he  and  nearly  all  of  his  party  perished  from  starvation. 

The  French  people,  chiefly  in  commemoration  of  the  emancipation  of 
the  slaves  in  the  United  States,  presented  to  our  government  an  immensely 
colossal  statue  made  of  copper,  of  "  Liberty  enlightening  the  World."     It  was 


THE  STORY  OF  ITS  PROGRESS  AND  GROWTH. 


539- 


executed  of  beaten  copper  by  Bartholdi,  an  eminent  sculptor.  The  corner- 
stone of  the  pedestal  was  laid  on  an  island  in  the  harbor  of  New  York  in 
August,  1884.  The  height  of  the  pedestal  and  statue  is  about  300  feet.  The 
statue,  designed  for  a  lighthouse,  is  on  Bedloe's  Island,  where  it  was  unveiled, 
with  imposing  ceremonies,  in  October,.  1885. 

The  visit  of  M.  De  Lesseps  to  the  United  States  and  the  Isthmus  of 
Panama,  in  1880,  in  furtherance  of  his  scheme  for  the  construction  of  a  Ship. 
Canal  across  the  isthmus,  aroused  the  American  government  and  people  to 
the  importance  of  such  a  work  at  another  point  on  the  narrow  strip  of  earth 
which  connects  North  and  South  America.  In  November,  1884,  a  treaty 
between  the  United  States  and  Nicaragua,  which  provided  that  the  former 
should  construct  a  canal  across  the  isthmus  of  Tehuantepec,  and  the  latter 
grant  the  right  of  way,  with  a  strip  of  territory  three  miles  wide.  The  Senate 
of  the  United  States  failed  to  ratify  the  treaty,  but  the  project  was  not 
abandoned. 

During  the  same  month  a  treaty  was  negotiated  between  the  United 
States  and  Spain  for  commercial  reciprocity  between  our  Republic  and  Cuba 
and  Port  Rico.     The  Senate  did  not  ratify  it. 

The  Second  Session  of  the  Forty-eighth  Congress  began  on  Dec.  i,  1884. 
The  President  in  his  annual  message  to  Congress  alluded  with  satisfaction  to 
the  labors  of  the  Civil  Service  Commission,  and  the  salutary  performances 
of  the  Utah  Commissioners,  and  again  recommended  Congress  to  assume 
absolute  political  control  of  the  Utah  Territory.  He  called  their  attention 
to  the  condition  of  our  foreign  trade,  which  he  regarded  as  "  one  of  the  gravest 
of  the  problems  which  appeal  to  the  wisdom  of  Congress."  It  was  shown 
that  only  a  little  more  than  seventeen  per  cent,  of  our  combined  exports  and 
imports  were  conveyed  in  American  vessels. 

A  "  World's  Fair"  was  opened  at  New  Orleans  in  December,  1884,  in  the 
presence  of  30,000  people.  The  E.xhibition  was  instrumental  in  p  omoting 
harmony  and  good  feeling  between  the  citizens  of  the  Republic  in  all 
sections. 

In  December,  1884,  the  capstone  of  the  obelisk,  constituting  the  Wash- 
ington monument  at  the  National  Capital,  was  put  in  place,  and  on  the  22d 
of  February  following  the  obelisk  was  dedicated  with  imposing  ceremonies. 

The  Administration  of  President  Arthur  closed  on  the  4th  of  March,  1885. 
The  National  debt,  which  on  January  i,  1866,  was  $2,800,000,000  had  been  re- 
duced one  half  on  January,  i,  1885.     Arthur  was  succeeded  by  Grover  Cleve- 


I 


540 


OUR  NATION: 


land,  like  himself  a  citizen  of  New  York,  as  the  occupant  of  the  chair  of  State 
•of  the  Great  Republic  of  the  West. 

Congress,  just  before  its  expiration  on  March  4,  1885,  honored  General  U. 
S.  Grant  by  authorizing  the  President  to  place  him  on  the  retired  list  of  the 
Army  with  full  pay  and  title  of  General,  for  life.     Immediately  after  this  act 
Grover  Cleveland  was  inaugurated  President  ol"  the  Unittd  States  in  the  pres- 
ence of  40,000  or  50,000  citizens  of  the  Republic. 


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■  !■!      . 


ADMINISTRATION  OF  GROVER  CLEVELAND. 

Grover  Cleveland,  a  son  of  a  Presbyterian  clergyman,  a  successful 
lawyer,  a  Mayor  of  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  and  Governor  of  the  State  of  New  York, 
was  elected  President  of  the  United  States  in  the  autumn  of  1884,  and  took 
his  seat  in  the  presidential  chair  on  the  4th  of  March,  1885,  at  the  age  of  fifty- 
one  years.  His  administration  of  public  affairs  in  the  "omiponwealth  of  New 
York  had  betn  so  generally  satisfnctory,  that  he  began  his  national  adminis- 
tration with  the  good  will  of  all  parties  in  the  Republic.  The  oath  of  office 
was  administered  to  him  by  Chief  Justice  Waite.  His  inaugural  address  was 
received  with  great  enthusiasm  by  a  vast  crowd,  who  heard  it  uttered  on  the 
eastern  portico  of  the  Capitol. 

The  administration  of  Mr.  Cleveland  was  marked  by  many  important 
events  in  the  history  of  our  nation.  Almost  his  first  act  was  to  withdraw 
from  the  Senate  the  unratified  treaty  with  Nicaragua,  with  a  view  to  the  sub- 
sequent presentation  of  a  substitute.  It  v/as  early  in  his  administration  that 
the  Prohibition  law  of  the  State  of  Iowa,  passed  in  1884,  was  submitted  to  a 
constitutional  test.  The  unanimous  opinion  of  a  full  bench  of  the  Supreme 
Court  of  the  State  pronounced  the  act  to  be  constitutional. 

In  the  Spring  of  1885  a  rebellion  or  large  mob  having  suddenly  appeared 
in  the  Isthmus  of  Panama,  which  menaced  the  safety  of  American  property 
if  not  lives  there,  and  had  destroyed  Colon  or  Aspinwall  by  fire,  over  a 
thousand  marines  of  the  United  States  Navy  were  sent  thither.  They  landed 
at  the  ruined  town,  crossed  the  Isthmus  to  Panama  and  soon  restored  order. 

Trouble  with  the  fierce  Apache  Indians,  led  by  an  able  chief,  Geronimo, 
gave  much  alarm  in  Arizona,  New  Mexico  and  the  border  districts  of  Mexico, 
but  United  States  troops  soon  subdued  them.  They  are  the  most  warlike  of 
our  Indian  tribes.  In  July,  the  same  year  the  Cheyenne  Indians  broke  out 
of  their  Reservation  and  went  into  Texas,  creating  great  alarm.     General 


THE  STORY  OF  ITS  PROGRESS  AND  GROWTH. 


541 


hair  of  State 

d  General  U. 
d  list  of  the 
ifter  this  act 
s  in  the  pres- 


[D. 

,  a  successful 
)f  New  York, 
884,  and  took 
e  age  of  fifty- 
^'ealth  of  New 
ional  adminis- 
oath  of  office 
il  address  was 
ttered  on  the 

ny  important 

to  withdraw 

w  to  the  sub- 

istration  that 

ubmitted  to  a 

the  Supreme 

enly  appeared 
ican  property 
y  fire,  over  a 
They  landed 
^stored  order, 
ef,  Geronimo, 
cts  of  Mexico, 
ost  warlike  of 
ins  broke  out 
rm.     General 


Sheridan  hastened  to  Fort  Reno,  whither  United  States  troops  were  sent. 
Led  by  General  Miles  they  soon  ended  the  outbreak  and  the  scare.  The 
Cheyennes  were  brought  back  to  their  Reservation  and  made  satisfied  by  just 
treatment. 

On  the  23d  of  July  (1885),  ex-President  and  General  U.  S.  Grant  died  at 
Mount  McGregor,  not  far  from  Saratoga  Springs.  His  body  was  taken  first 
to  Albany,  where  it  lay  in  state  for  a  br^;f  period,  when  it  was  conveyed  to 
New  York  by  railroad.  It  lay  in  state  in  the  City  Hall  there,  and  was  in- 
terred in  a  temporary  vault  in  Riverside  Park,  on  the  banks  of  the  Hudson, 
in  the  Great  Metropolis.  The  largest  and  most  distinguisned  procession  ever 
seen  in  New  York  city  followed  his  remains  to  the  tomb. 

Knights  of  Labor,  a  very  strong  association  of  Labor  Leagues  of  various 
]  ids,  assuming  to  control  and  regulate  the  labor  arrangements  between  em- 
ployers and  the  employed  of  the  country,  tried  the  power  of  the  association 
by  ordering  a  "  strike,"  or  cessation  from  labor,  on  railroad  lines  centering  at 
St.  Louis,  Missouri.  They  began  their  operations  by  ordering  a  strike  on 
the  street  cars  of  St.  Louis  at  a  time  (October)  when  fully  100,000  strangers 
were  in  the  city  attending  a  great  Fair.  A  mob  wrecked  twenty  street  cars 
in  the  following  Spring  (1886).  8,000  to  10,000  employees  on  the  Gould 
southwestern  system  of  railways  struck  without  adequate  cause  apparent,  by 
order  of  leaders  of  the  Knights  of  Labor.  Tliis  was  the  beginning  of  an 
attempt  to  cripple  the  great  system  of  railroads  in  that  region  and  so  impress 
the  people  with  a  sense  of  the  power  of  the  Knights.  For  some  time  all  traffic 
was  paralyzed,  and  the  malign  influence  of  the  movement  was  felt  all  over  the 
country. 

Archbishop  McCloskey,  the  first  Cardinal  in  America,  died  at  his  Epis- 
copal residence  in  New  York  City  on  Oct.  7th,  and  on  the  29th  of  the  same 
month,  Major-General  George  B.  McClellan,  ex-Governor  of  New  Jersey,  died 
very  suddenly  of  heart  disease  at  his  residence  in  New  York  City. 

The  first  session  of  the  Forty-ninth  Congress  began  on  December  4,  1885. 
The  sudden  death  of  Vice-President  Hendricks,  in  the  Fall  of  1885,  left  the 
chair  of  the  president  of  the  Senate  vacnnt.  General  John  A.  Logan  was 
nominated  by  the  Republicans  to  fill  the  place  />ro  tnnpore,  but  declined; 
Senator  John  Sherman  accepted  it.  The  Democrats  nominated  Ishain  Harris 
for  the  position.  They  also  nominated  John  S.  Carlisle  of  Kentucky  for 
Speaker  of  the  House,  in  which  they  had  a  majority,  and  he  was  elected. 

In  his  first  annual  message  President  Cleveland  made  special  reference  to 


]  H^ 

Ill: 


;  ['r'tf^^i' 


54^: 


OUR  NATION: 


*?  i;. 


iiiyi'  r 


the  condition  of  the  National  finances,  and  suggested  that  in  any  modification 
of  the  revenue  laws  the  industries  and  interests  in  which  citizens  had  made 
large  investments  should  not  be  "  ruthlessly  injured  or  destroyed;  "  and  tliat 
the  interests  of  American  labor  should  be  protected.  He  alluded  to  the 
enormous  amount — $65,cxx),ooo — of  coinage  then  in  the  treasury,  largely  in 
silver,  and  the  evils  to  be  apprehended  from  such  a  state  of  affairs.  Indian 
Fleservations  and  Chinese  policy;  immigration;  Polygamy  in  Utah,  and  the 
Nicaragua  Canal  treaty,  were  noticed  at  length.  He  opposed  the  Canal 
treaty  and  concluded  not  to  return  it  to  the  Senate. 

At  the  middle  of  December,  a  conspiracy  was  discovered  in  San  Francisco, 
formed  by  a  band  of  dynamiters,  to  destroy  several  leading  citizens  with  the 
terrible  explosive,  and  to  murder  all  the  Chinese  there.  The  conspirators  w  ere 
arrested. 

The  dusky  natives  occupying  the  "  Indian  Territory"  were  much  dis- 
turbed by  the  introduction  of  Bills  into  Congress  tending  to  interfere  with 
their  political  rights  and  their  property.  The  Cherokees,  the  most  enlightened 
of  these  natives,  took  action  in  council,  and  by  resolutions  denied  the  right  of 
the  United  States  to  dispose  of  their  property  in  any  way,  save  by  the  con- 
sent of  their  Council ;  also,  that  the  Cherokee  nation  did  not  authorize  tiie 
sale  of  any  of  its  lands  tor  white  settlements  or  for  any  purpose. 

The  "  Mormon  Question  "  occupied  the  attention  of  Congress.  Senator 
Edmunds  of  Vermont  introduced  into  the  Senate  a  stringent  Anti-Poly- 
gamy bill,  which  passed  that  body  on  January  8th  (1886)  by  37  yeas  to  7 
nays.  At  about  the  saine  time,  the  Land  Commissioners  made  a  decision 
which  affected  a  claim  of  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  to  about  two  and  a 
half  million  acres  of  land,  valued  at  $^25,000,000.  The  validity  of  the  claim  of 
the  Company  to  these  lands  had  long  been  disputed  by  settlers  on  them, 
many  of  whom  had  made  improvements.  The  decision  of  the  Commi:;sion- 
ers  was  against  the  claim  of  the  Company. 

The  Presidential  Succession  Act  became  a  law  at  the  middle  of  Janiiarv 
(1886).  It  provides  that  in  case  of  the  death  of  the  President  and  Vice- 
President  of  the  United  States  the  vacancy  shall  be  filled  by  a  member  of 
his  cabinet  selected  in  the  following  order:  the  Secretary  of  State;  of  the 
Treasury;  of  War;  the  Attorney-General;  the  Post-Master-General;  the 
Secretary  of  the  Navy  and  the  Secretary  of  the  Intcior. 

Early  in  March,  1886,  a  State  Anti-Chinese  Convention  held  at  Sacra- 
mento, California,  organized  an  Anti-Cfnnesc  non-partisan  Association  for  the 


iiW 


THE  STORY  OF  ITS  PROGRESS  AND  GROWTH. 


543 


)    > 


)  by  37  yt^'i^  t' 


purpose  of  discouraging  the  employment  of  Chinese  labor.  The  Association 
resolved  to  "  boycott "  any  person  who  should  employ  Chinese  labor,  directly 
or  indirectly,  or  who  should  purchase  the  products  of  Chinese  labor. 

Connected  with  the  warfare  of  the  Knights  of  Labor  against  the  South- 
western railroads  were  the  serious  operations  of  a  mob  at  East  St.  Louis,  on 
the  Illinois  side  of  the  Mississippi  River.  Sheriff's  deputies  were  sent  from 
St.  Louis  to  quell  the  disturbance,  and  being  defied,  they  fired  among  the 
rioters  and  killed  six  persons  and  wounded  as  many  more.  The  Mayor  of 
St.  Louis,  who  was  drunk,  tried  to  arrest  the  deputy-sheriffs,  when  shots  were 
exchanged  and  one  man  was  killed.  On  that  night  incendiary  fires  were 
kindled  m  the  rail-road  yards  along  two  miles  of  river  front.  Forty-two  cars 
were  burned.  The  total  loss  of  property  was  estimated  at  $150,000  before 
the  rioters  were  checked  by  the  arrival  of  Illinois  State  militia.  The  busi- 
ness of  the  whole  country  was  deranged  for  more  than  a  year  afterwards 
by  successive  "  strikes "  ordered  by  the  Knights  of  Labor  or  other  "  labor 
unions." 

A  serious  movement  against  the  order  of  Society  was  begun  in  Chicago 
in  the  Spring  of  1886  among  foreign  residents,  who  were  anarchists.  They 
were  chiefly  Germans.  A  large  number  were  engaged  in  riotous  proceedings 
in  the  suburbs  on  May  3d.  On  the  following  evening  a  large  crowd  had  been 
called  together  in  the  city  to  listen  to  seditious  harangues,  and  to  inagurate 
anarchist  proceedings.  After  listening  for  awhile  to  incendiary  remarks  from 
a  man  named  Fielden,  the  Inspector  of  Police  led  a  band  of  the  reserved 
police  force  to  the  gathered  crowd  and  commanded  the  speaker  to  cease  his 
harangue.  At  that  moment  a  dynamite  bomb  was  thrown  before  the  front 
line  of  policemen,  which  exploded  and  killed  several  of  the  latLer.  At  tlie 
same  time  the  mob  fired  on  the  police,  who  returned  the  fire.  Seven  of  the 
leading  anarchists  were  arrested,  tried  for  "murder  before  the  act,"  in  July, 
found  guilty  and  sentenced  to  be  hanged  in  November.  By  efforts  to  obtain 
a  new  trial,  the  interference  of  the  United  States  Supreme  Court,  and  a 
commutation  of  sentence  by  the  Governor  of  Illinois,  their  execution  was  post- 
poned for  about  a  year.  P'our  of  them  were  hanged,  two  were  sent  to  prison 
for  life,  and  one  committed  suicide  in  his  cell. 

In  June,  1886,  President  Cleveland  and  his  ward,  Miss  Frances  Folsom, 
wert;  married  at  the  Executive  Mansion,  in  Washington,  in  the  presence  of 
members  of  his  cabinet.  Justices  of  the  Supreme  Court,  Senators  and  Repre- 
sentatives, the  Diplomatic  corps,  Lieutenant-General  of  the  Army,  Admiral 


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544 


OUR  NATION: 


i:; 


of  the  Navy,  other  officials  in  Washington,  and  personal  friends  of  the  "high 
contracting  parties." 

A  resolution  was  introduced  into  the  Senate  in  June  (1886),  proposing  an 
amendment  to  the  Constitution  to  prohibit  Polygamy  within  the  bounds  of 
the  Republic ;  defining  marriage,  and  providing  punishment  for  those  who 
should  violate  the  laws  to  regulate  the  institution  in  accordance  with  the 
definition  of  marriage. 

Numerous  private  pension  bills  were  presented  to  the  President  from 
time  to  time,  many  of  which  on  careful  examination  he  felt  constrained  to 
veto.  His  first  veto  message  was  issued  early  in  May,  1885.  From  that  time 
until  1888  he  sent  back  to  Congress  about  one  hundred  vetoed  bills. 

Early  in  Mr.  Cleveland's  administration  vexatious  treatment  of  Ameri- 
can fishermen  by  the  authorities  of  the  Dominion  of  Canada,  occurred.  They 
fitted  out  cruisers  to  observe  and  prevent  any  encroachment  of  American 
fishermen  within  Canadian  waters,  and  these  annoyed  the  fishermen  and  pro- 
duced great  irritation.  Matters  were  assuming  such  a  threatening  aspect  that 
the  Secretary  of  State  opened  correspondence  on  the  subject  in  July,  1886, 
with  the  British  minister  at  Washington,  which  finally  led  to  the  negotiation 
of  a  treaty  early  in  1888,  the  avowed  object  of  which  was  the  removal  of  all 
causes  of  misunderstanding  in  relation  to  the  treaty  of  October,  1818,  and  the 
*'  promotion  of  friendly  intercourse  and  good  neighborhood  between  the 
United  States  and  the  possessions  of  her  Majesty  in  North  America."  It 
agreed  to  the  appointment  of  a  mixed  commission  to  carry  out  the  terms  of 
the  treaty.  Late  in  August,  (1888)  the  Senate  of  the  United  States  rejected 
the  treaty,  whereupon  the  President,  in  an  exhaustive  message,  asked  for 
fuller  powers  to  enforce  retaliatory  measures  toward  Canada,  in  accordance 
with  a  former  law  of  Congress,  authorizing  retaliatory  Acts. 

On  the  day  before  the  adjournment  of  Congress  early  in  August  (1886) 
the  President  submitted  to  the  Senate  a  new  extradition  treaty  with  Japan, 
•which  covered  more  offenses  than  any  other  similar  treaty  with  foreign  powers. 
It  was  suggested  by  the  Japanese  government. 

At  the  close  of  August  the  most  destructive  earthquake  ever  felt  in  this 
country  occurred  most  severely,  at  Charleston,  S.  C,  and  vicinity.  There 
were  ten  principal  shocks  at  Charleston,  between  the  night  of  August  2jt\\ 
and  September  ist.  The  tremor  was  felt  over  an  area  of  900,000  square 
miles,  or  one  quarter  of  the  United  States.  The  most  destructive  shock 
occurred   on  the  night  of  August  31st.     It   destroyed   many  buildings  and 


THE  STORY  OF  ITS  PROGRESS  AND  GROWTH. 


545 


i  of  the  "  high 


about  forty  lives  (a  large  portion  of  them  among  the  Negro  population),  and 
more  or  less  injured  almost  every  structure  in  Charleston.  People  rushed 
from  their  houses  and  encamped  in  the  streets.  The  Negroes,  believing  that 
the  world  was  coming  to  an  end,  huddled  in  groups  at  the  corners  of  the  streets, 
shouted  incoherent  prayers  and  sang  hymns,  while  the  groans  of  the  wounded 
and  dying  swelled  the  dreadful  chorus.  It  was  truly  a  night  of  horrors  in 
the  stricken  city.  The  sympathy  of  the  whole  country  for  the  sufferers  was 
inst-tntly  aroused  and  munificent  aid  was  sent  to  the  authorities  of  Charleston. 
Its  shattered  and  ruined  buildings  were  soon  repaired  or  rebuilt,  and  pros- 
perity soon  made  the  city  glad. 

An  effort  was  made  among  the  Temperance  members  of  the  Republican 
party  to  make  the  doctrine  of  sobriety  a  leading  feature  in  its  character. 
For  that  purpose  a  "  Republican  Anti-Saloon  League  "  was  formed  in  many 
parts  of  the  Union,  and  in  Sept.,  1886,  a  National  organization  was  effected  at 
a  convention  held  at  Chicago,  which  was  attended  by  about  200  delegates, 
who  represented  sixteen  States  and  ore  Territory,  A  National  Committee 
was  appointed,  with  Albert  Griffin  of  Kansas,  the  originator  of  the  movement, 
as  chairman. 

The  Bartholdi  statue  of  "  Liberty  Enlightening  the  World,"  presented  by 
the  French  people  to  those  of  the  United  States,  was  ^nveiled  in  New  York 
Harbor,  on  Oct.  24th,  1886.  It  was  a  gala  day  in  the  city  and  harbor,  though. 
the  weather  was  inclement.  The  event  was  celebrated  by  an  immense  pro- 
cession in  the  city,  and  a  gathering  of  a  vast  multitude  of  water-craft  of  every 
description  in  the  harbor,  laden  with  men,  women  and  children.  The  impos- 
ing special  services  of  the  occasion  were  observed  on  a  platform  in  front  of 
the  Statue,  on  Bedloe's  Island,  in  the  afternoon.  There  was  an  opening- 
prayer,  a  presentation  address  by  Count  de  Lesseps,  the  constructor  of  the 
Suez  and  Panama  Canals,  an  address  of  acceptance  by  the  President  of  the 
United  States,  and  speeches  by  Senator  Evarts  and  Chauncey  M.  Depew. 

At  about  the  middle  of  the  following  month,  ex-President  Arthur  died, 
when  the  President  ordered  the  Executive  Mansion  and  the  Government 
buildings  to  be  draped  in  mourning  for  thirty  days. 

In  January,  1887,  a  bill  was  reported  in  the  Senate  to  incorporate  the 
Maritime  Canal  Company,  and  a  resolution  calling  on  the  President  to  enter 
into  negotiations  with  the  Government  of  Nicaragua,  with  a  view  to  obtaining 
concessions  from,  and  entering  into  a  convention  with  that  Republic  for  the 
construction  of  a  Ship  Canal  through  the  State  of  Nicaragua  from  the  Atlantic 


I  1-/H 


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54^> 


OUR  NATION 


to  the  Pacific  oceans,  the  canal  to  be  built  either  by  the  United  States  govern  • 
mcnt  or  its  citizens.  At  about  the  same  time  an  act  was  passed  to  create  a 
department  of  Agriculture  and  Labor. 

An  Inter-State  Commerce  Act— a  most  important  measure — for  the 
regulation  of  traffic  between  the  States,  whether  the  transportation  shall  be 
by  railroad  or  otherwise,  was  adopted  on  January  2ist,  1887.  The  President 
immediately  appointed  five  Commissioners  to  carry  out  the  designs  of  the  Act. 
On  the  same  day  the  Senate  ratified  a  new  treaty  with  the  Hawaiian  govern- 
ment, which  extends  the  commercial  relations  of  the  United  States  with  the 
islands  for  some  years.  On  May  4th,  the  Queen  of  Haw.ii  arrived  at  Wash- 
ington on  her  way  to  attend  the  Jubilee  of  Victoria,  Queen  of  Great  Britain. 

The  Centennial  celebration  of  the  adoption  of  the  form  of  the  National 
Constitution,  by  a  convention  at  Philadelphia  at  the  middle  of  September, 
1787,  was  celebrated  in  that  city  during  three  days  (Sept.  15,  16,  17,  1887), 
A\'ith  imposing  civic  and  military  parades,  ovations,  et  cetera.  The  more  in- 
tellectual proceedings  occurred  on  Saturday  the  17th,  when  the  President  of 
the  United  States  and  Justice  Miller  of  the  Supreme  Court  made  addresses. 
The  form  of  the  constitution  was  agreed  to  on  Sept.  15,  and  it  was  signed  by 
the  members  of  the  Convention,  on  the  17th,  1787. 

The  first  session  of  the  Fiftieth  Congress  began  on  December  4th,  1887. 
The  most  prominent  topic  of  the  President's  annual  message  was  revenue 
reform,  the  curtailment  of  the  receipts  of  Customs  duties,  and  the  reduction 
of  the  enormous  accumulation  of  hoarded  coin  in  the  treasury.  He  recom- 
mended a  reduction  of  tarifT  taxes,  which  were  necessarily  imposed  for  war 
purposes.  The  message  caused  the  subject  of  a  tariff  for  "  revenue  "  and  a 
tariff  for  "  protection  "  to  become  a  vital  question  at  issue  in  the  Presiden- 
tial campaign  of  1888.  There  being  a  difference  of  opinion  on  the  subject 
by  members  of  the  two  great  political  parties,  made  the  issue  of  the  campaign 
extremely  doubtful  and  intensified  its  conduct. 

In  January,  1888,  the  President  nominated  L.  Q.  C.  Lamar,  his  Secretary 
of  the  Interior,  to  a  seat  on  the  bench  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United 
States.  In  expectation  of  the  nomination,  the  Secretary  had  resigned  his 
position  in  the  Cabinet  on  the  7th  of  January. 

The  great  miners*  strike  in  the  Schuylkill  coal  region  that  so  affected  the 
Reading  railroad  and  the  coal  supply  of  the  country,  ended  at  about  the 
middle  of  February  by  agreement,  when  20,000  laborers  who  had  been  idle 
for  weeks  resumed  work. 


THE  STORY  OF  ITS  PROGRESS  AND  GROWTH. 


547 


On  the  first  of  March,  Mr.  Mills,  Chairman  of  tiic  V\'ays  and  Means 
Committee  of  the  House  of  Representatives,  made  public  their  tariff  bill, 
known  as  the  "  Mills  Bill."  Its  general  plan  is  based  on  the  suggestions  of 
the  President's  last  annual  message,  recommending  tariff  reform  by  reducing 
the  rate  of  duties  imposed  on  certain  articles.  It  caused  !')ng  and  earnest 
debates  in  and  out  of  Congress.  The  Bill  passed  the  House  of  Representa- 
tives, in  which  the  Democrats  had  a  majority,  on  July  13th,  but  was  op- 
posed by  the  Senate,  in  which  the  Republicans  preponderated  in  numbers. 

Early  in  March,  1888,  the  German  population  of  our  country  were 
deeply  moved  by  tidings  of  the  death  of  the  aged  Emperor  of  Germany,  who 
was  ninety-one  years  of  age.  The  President  of  the  United  States  directed 
the  American  minister  at  Berlin  to  make  known  that  "  the  death  of  the  ven- 
erable Emperor  had  deeply  aroused  the  sorrow  and  sympa'.hy  of  the  people 
and  government  fif  the  United  States." 

The  most  severe  storm  of  snow  and  wind  ever  known  in  the  Middle  and 
Eastern  States  of  the  Union,  was  experienced  in  that  region  on  the  12th  and 
13th  of  March.  It  was  like  a  genuine  "  blizzard  "  of  the  Western  States.  It 
paralyzed  all  human  operations  out  of  doors  for  several  days,  preventing 
transportation  of  every  kind,  and  almost  every  kind  of  labor  but  shovelling 
snow. 

Morrison  R.  Waite,  Chief  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United 
States,  died  on  March  23d,  and  was  succeeded  on  the  20th  of  July  following 
by  Melville  W.  Fuller,  of  Illinois. 

The  text  of  a  treaty  with  China  concluded  in  1880  for  the  purpose  of  regu- 
lating, limiting  or  suspending  the  arriving  of  Chinese  laborers  to,  and  residence 
in,  the  United  States,  was  made  public  at  about  the  beginning  of  April.  Soon 
afterwards  a  bill  for  the  restriction  of  Chinese  immigrants  to  Chinese  officials, 
teachers,  students,  merchants  or  travellers  for  pleasure  or  curiosity,  with  the 
permission  of  their  government,  these  persons  identified  by  certificates,  and 
the  repeal  of  the  Chinese  act  of  May  6th,  1880,  introduced  into  the  House 
of  Representatives  late  in  April  1888.  The  Chinese  government  rejected  the 
Treaty,  and  the  Chinese  Emigrant  Restriction  Bill  was  passed  in  September. 
At  about  the  same  time  a  bill  for  the  division  of  the  Territory  of  Dakota,  and 
constituting  the  southern  half  a  State  bearing  that  name,  and  the  northern 
part  a  Territory  named  Lincoln,  passed  the  Senate.  It  was  defeated  in  the 
House. 

Lieutenant-General  Sheridan,  commander-in-chief  of  the  armies  of  the 


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548 


OUR  NATION 


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■.y  ^■'  ;  ,    '■ 

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United  States,  was  prostrated  at  his  residence  in  Washington  by  the  effects 
of  "  fatty  degeneration  of  the  heart  "  at  near  the  close  of  May.  On  the  first 
of  June  he  was  given  the  rank  and  commission  of  "  General."  He  lingered 
between  iife  and  death  until  August  5th,  when  he  died  at  his  cottage  home 
at  Nonquitt,  Massachusetts. 

Since  1884,  a  third  political  party,  known  as  the  "Prohibition  Party," 
which  labors  for  the  prohibition  of  the  manufacture,  importation  and  sale 
of  intoxicating  liquors  as  a  beverage,  has  rapidly  increased  in  strength,  and  has 
assumed  a  national  character.  The  Prohibitionists  held  a  national  Convention 
at  Indianapolis  on  the  30th  and  31st  of  May,  nominated  General  Clinton  B, 
Fiske  of  New  York  for  President  of  the  United  States,  and  John  A.  Brooks 
of  Missouri  for  Vice-President,  and  adopted  a  national  platform.  A  Demo- 
cratic National  Convention,  held  at  St.  Louis  on  June  5,  6,  and  7th  nominated 
President  Cleveland  for  the  high  position  he  occupied,  and  Allen  G.  Thurman 
of  Ohio  for  Vice-President.  They  adopted  a  platform  of  principles  in  agree- 
ment with  the  President's  annual  message  in  December,  1887.  The  Repub- 
licans held  their  National  Convention  at  Chicago  from  June  19th  to  June  25th. 
There  were  many  candidates  for  the  presidency,  nineteen  persons  receiving 
one  or  more  votes  for  the  nomination.  They  also  adopted  a  platform  of 
principles.  They  nominated  General  Benjamin  Harrison  of  Indiana,  a 
grandson  of  President  W.  H,  Harrison,  for  President,  and  Levi  P.  Morton,  of 
New  York,  for  Vice-President. 

On  the  anniversary  of  the  Battle  of  Gettysburg,  soldiers  of  the  National 
and  Confederate  armies  who  were  engaged  in  that  decisive  struggle  met  in 
friendly  reunion.  The  special  re-union  ceremonies  were  held  in  the  National 
Cemetery  and  the  most  cordial  good  feeling  prevailed. 

During  the  months  of  August  and  September  (1888)  the  city  of  Jackson- 
ville, Florida,  was  frightfully  scourged  by  yellow  fever,  while  the  rest  of  the 
Union  seems  to  have  been  almost  entirely  free  from  the  dreaded  pestilence. 

The  first  session  of  the  Fifty-first  Congress  closed  on  October  20.  It  was 
the  longest  session  of  Congress  ever  held.  Ten  days  afterwards  (October  30) 
the  British  Minister  at  Washington,  Lord  Sackville  West,  was  dismissed  by 
the  President,  for  words  uttered  in  a  reply  to  a  correspondent  in  California 
who  made  insinuations  of  bad  faith  and  deception  on  the  part  of  the  President, 
in  his  dealings  with  the  fishery  question.  In  his  reply,  the  Minister  acqui- 
esced in  his  correspondent's  opinions  of  the  character  of  the  President.  His 
letter  was  marked  "  private."     As  fore-determined  by  the  correspondent,  it 


THE  STORY  OF  ITS  PROGRESS  AND  CKOWTII. 


>ition  Party," 
tion  and  sale 
ngth,  and  has 
al  Convention 
al  Clinton  B. 
hn  A.  Brooks 
Ti.  A  Demo- 
'th  nominated 
1  G.  Thurman 
iples  in  agree- 
The  Repub- 
I  to  June  25th. 
ions  receiv'ing 
a  platform  of 
)f  Indiana,  a 
P.  Morton,  of 

the  National 

uggle  met  in 

the  National 

y  of  Jackson- 

le  rest  of  the 

d  pestilence. 

er  20.     It  was 

5  (October  30) 

dismissed  by 

in  California 

the  President, 

inister  acqui- 

•esident.     His 

respondent,  it 


549 


was  published  broadcast.  It  was  a  political  trick  to  secure  votes  against  the 
President  at  the  election  about  to  take  place. 

On  November  6,  at  the  close  of  a  most  exciting  canvass,  the  Presidential 
election  took  place.  It  resulted  in  the  choice  of  Benjamin  Harrison  of  Indi- 
ana for  President,  and  Levi  P.  Morton  of  New  York  for  Vice-President. 

The  second  session  of  the  Fifty-first  Congress  began  on  the  first  Monday 
in  December,  1889.  The  President  in  his  Message  reiterated  with  emphasis 
his  sentiments  concerning  revenue  reforms.  The  most  important  act  of  this 
session  was  the  creation  of  four  new  States:  Washington,  North  Dakota, 
South  Dakota  and  Montana.  The  President  signed  the  bill  on  the  22d  of 
February,  1889. 


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OUR  NATIONAL  PROGRESS 

AND  THE  WONDERFUL  DEVELOPMENT  OF  OUR  MATERIAL 
RESOURCES   SINCE   THE   CIVIL  WAR. 

The  war  had  been  practically  ended  with  the  surrender  of  Generals  Lee 
and  Johnston  in  April,  1865,  and  both  sections  of  the  country  rejoiced  at  the 
return  of  peace.  The  South  had  suffered  most  heavily  and  lost  her  all. 
Many  wealthy  families  were  reduced  to  the  verge  of  necessity.  Their  slaves 
were  free,  their  plantations  were  uncultivated,  and  their  prospects  for  the 
future  V  ere  dark  indeed.  Where  the  land  remained  in  possession  of  its 
former  owners  they  had  not  the  means  to  cultivate  it  nor  the  money  to  buy 
seed.  The  worthless  Confederate  bonds  and  currency  in  which  they  had  in- 
vested or  which  had  been  forced  upon  them  was  of  no  use  to  them  now. 
Their  towns  and  villages  were  filled  with  brave  men  who  were  shattered  in 
life  and  limb,  and  had  no  government  to  care  for  them.  Their  industries 
were  paralyzed  and  their  commerce  destroyed,  and  their  political  status  was 
as  yet  uncertain.  The  first  thought  was  for  personal  preservation,  and  all 
classes  bent  their  energies  to  the  raising  of  the  first  crop  of  cotton,  for  which 
the  manufacturers  of  the  world  were  waiting.  The  demand  for  cotton  and 
their  ability  to  supply  this  demand  was  the  only  line  of  hope.  Bravely  and 
grandly  did  they  seize  upon  it.  Could  it  be  produced  without  slave  labor? 
This  was  a  problem  as  yet  unsolved.  It  must  be  done.  The  freedman  was 
given  an  interest  in  the  growing  crop,  and  he  labored  with  more  zest  than  he 
had  ever  shown  for  the  kindest  master.  He  was  dependent  upon  his  own 
resources  now,  and  with  no  owner  to  care  fo;-  him  his  first  experience  in  tiic 
new  condition  of  things  was  at  best  a  hard  one.  Even  with  the  kindest  dis- 
position the  white  people  were  unable  to  aid  the  blacks.  The  bounty  of  tiic 
Government  was  extended  to  all  alike.  The  United  States  issued  rations 
of  food  and  clothing  to  both  blacks  and  whites  in  many  places,  and  thus  the 
first  season  after  the  return  of  peace  was  passed.  The  cotton  crop  brought 
a  good  market.  The  deserted  factories  in  the  North  sprang  into  action,  and 
the  production  of  cotton  goods,  which  had  been  curtailed  for  years,  was  ac- 
tively resumed  once  more. 


»>■'■- 


OUR   NATION. 


551 


vIATERIAL 


In  the  North  the  industries  had  been  somewhat  disarranged,  but  not  to  thd 
extent  they  had  been  in  the  South.  The  manufacturing  of  all  manner  of 
.irmy  supplies  had  been  pushed  to  its  utmost  limit.  Iron  factories  had  been 
running  day  and  night.  The  demand  of  the  army  for  clothing  and  equip- 
ments had  been  immense ;  but  that  was  all  changed  by  the  disbanding  of  the 
army,  and  the  industries  of  the  North  must  be  turned  to  other  channels. 
The  vast  numbers  of  returned  soldiers  must  be  provided  with  means  of  liveli- 
hood and  posi;ions  for  peaceful  employment.  There  was  an  abundance  of 
paper  money  in  the  country,  but  it  was  below  par  value  and  prices  were  high. 
There  had  been  a  disposition  to  withdraw  capital  invested  in  mercantile  and 
manufacturing  pursuits.  But  with  the  return  of  specie  payments  and  depre- 
ciation in  prices  in  1879  came  a  general  impulse  for  investments.  The  capital 
of  the  North  was  moving  southward.  Cottc  mills  and  other  factories  were 
being  erected  nearer  to  the  supply  of  the  raw  material.  There  arose  a 
period  of  railroad  development,  and  thousands  of  miles  of  new  roads  belted 
the  country.  Real  estate  was  advancing  in  price,  and  the  desire  for  specula- 
tion was  upon  the  nation  before  they  were  aware  of  it.  All  the  while  the 
South  was  recuperating  most  rapidly.  The  va^t  war  debt  of  the  nation  was 
being  reduced  and  its  interest  lessened.  A  long  panic  followed,  in  which  the 
public  was  taught  to  contract  private  expenditures  and  perform  business 
upon  solid  principles.  The  lesson  was  a  bitter  but  a  needful  one,  and  the 
people  were  taught  by  a  hard  experience  that  inflated  values  and  high  living 
are  destructive  to  financial  success.  Slowly  the  public  confidence  returned, 
and  the  revival  of  business  began  and  assumed  a  healthy  tone. 

The  Centennial  Exposition  had  displayed  to  the  amazed  countries  of  the 
world  the  wonderful  progress  in  all  the  arts,  manufactures  and  improvements 
of  the  age.  the  United  States  leading  in  nearly  every  department  of  trade, 
and  at  the  same  time  showiiTg  the  old  world  her  desirable  advancement  in 
the  refined  arts  and  scientific  discoveries.  In  mavjhinery  and  labor-saving 
appliances  she  had  distanced  the  nations  of  Europe.  While  in  defensive  and 
offensive  military  armature  she  had  given  them  lessons  which  they  were  but 
too  ready  to  learn  and  improve  upon.  A  grand  impetus  was  given  by  this 
exhibition  to  all  the  industries  of  the  United  States,  while  it  opened  up  the 
markets  of  the  world  as  never  before.  The  fertile  wheat  and  corn-growing 
sections  of  the  great  central  Western  States,  as  well  as  the  cotton-growing 
South,  found  a  ready  market  in  the  old  world. 

The  public  debt  has  been  largely  reduced  year  after  year,  and  refunded 


i  • 


■  i; 


..,j. 


^s 


552  OUR    NATION. 

at  a  low  rate  of  interest.  The  cities  of  the  South  and  the  North  have  shared 
in  the  general  prosperity  and  largely  regained  the  lost  ground  caused  by  the 
war.  The  enterprise  of  the  whole  country  has  been  stimulated  by  a  health- 
ful rivalry  in  business,  and  the  bonds  of  co-nmercial  intercourse  are  fast  blot- 
ting them  out.  The  following  extract  shows  the  real  feeling  of  the  South, 
especially  among  its  young  men  : 


•!1>>l 


31)-; 


m 


n 


From  the  Century, 

The  Southern  States  are  now  rearing  a  large  number  of  young  men  before  whom  the  outlook  is 
bright.  Some  of  them  are  sons  of  the  old  ruling  families,  but  many  of  them  have  sprung  from  the 
lower  ai'd  middle  classes.  They  enjoy  the  advantages  of  poverty;  they  have  no  money  to  spend  in 
luxuries  or  diversions;  they  have  fortunes  to  retrieve  or  to  gain;  they  have  grown  up  since  the  war, 
and  have  inherited  less  than  could  be  expected  of  its  resentments.  "  Well,"  said  a  bright  fellow  at  the 
close  of  a  college  commencement  in  Virginia  last  Summer,  "Lee  and  Jackson  have  been  turned  over 
in  their  graves  but  once  to-day."  The  sigh  of  relief  with  which  he  said  it  indicates  the  feeling  of  many 
of  these  young  men.  They  keep  no  grudges  and  have  no  wish  to  fight  the  war  over  again.  The  senti- 
ment of  patriotism  is  getting  a  deep  root  in  their  natures. 

Yet  they  are  full  of  faith  in  the  future  of  their  own  section.  Well  they  may  be.  During  their 
lifetime  the  industry  of  the  South  has  been  revolutionized,  and  the  results  already  achieved  are  marvel- 
ous. An  era  of  prosperity  has  begun;  and  there  are  few  intelligent  men  at  the  South  to-day  who  will 
not  at  once  confess  that  it  is  destined  to  be  a  far  brighter  era  than  they  have  ever  seei .  Free  labor  is 
unlocking  the  wealth  of  farms  and  mines  and  falling  waters  in  a  way  that  slave  labor  n'iver  could  have 
done.  New  machinery,  new  methods  are  bringing  in  a  new  day.  In  the  midst  of  the  stir  and  move- 
ment of  this  industrial  revolution  these  young  men  are  growing  up.  Hope  and  expectation  are  in  the 
air;  the  stern  discipline  of  poverty  goads  them  on,  and  the  promise  of  great  success  allures  them.  All 
the  conditions  are  favorabl  for  the  development  of  strong  character;  and  any  one  who  will  visit  the 
Southern  colleges  and  schools  will  find  in  them  a  generation  of  students  alert,  vigorous,  manly  and 
tremendously  in  earnest.  Probably  they  do  not  spend,  on  an  average,  one-third  as  much  money  per 
capita  as  is  spent  by  the  students  of  the  New  England  colleges;  and  in  the  refinements  of  scholarship 
the  average  Southern  student  would  be  found  inferior  to  the  average  Northern  student;  but  they  are 
making  the  most  of  their  opportunities.  They  ought  to  have  better  opportunities.  Most  of  the  South- 
ern colleges  and  schools  are  crippled  for  lack  of  fund'-  and  much  more  of  the  flood  of  Northern  bounty 
might  well  be  turned  south'vard,  to  the  endowment  of  schools  and  colleges  for  whites  as  well  as  blacks. 
The  generous  sentiment  cf  the  young  South  would  thus  be  strengthened,  and  the  bonds  of  union  more 
firmly  joined.  Hut  whatever  may  be  done  in  this  direction  it  is  evident  that  a  race  of  exceptional  moral 
earnestness  and  mental  vigor  is  now  growing  up  in  the  South,  and  that  it  is  sure  to  be  heard  from.  If 
the  young  fellows  in  the  Northern  colleges  expect  to  hold  their  own  in  the  competition  for  leadership, 
they  must  devote  less  of  their  resources  to  base  ball  and  rowing  and  champagne  suppers  and  come  down 
to  business. 

The  "Cotton  Exposition"  in  the  beautiful  and  rejuvenated  city  of  At- 
lanta, Georg'a,  in  October,  1882,  was  a  gigantic  exhibition  of  the  resources 
of  the  great  cotton-growing  States,  and  displayed  the  rapid  stride  made  by 


THE   STORY    OF   ITS   PROGRESS   AND   GROWTH. 


553 


a  people  but  a  few  years  ago  prostrated  by  an  exhaustive  and  unsuccessful 
struggle.  The  vast  domain  of  the  South-west  is  being  rapidly  opened  up  by 
the  means  of  railroad  communications  and  the  influx  of  immigration.  The 
crowded  denizens  of  the  old  world  are  thronging  in  inconceivable  numbers 
to  the  western  republic  as  never  before  in  the  history  of  the  country.  Since 
1820,  when  the  Government  first  began  to  keep  the  official  account,  there 
have  come  to  the  United  States  no  less  than  11,800,000  perso;>s  of  foreign 
birth  to  find  homes  in  this  country.  In  addition  to  these  there  have  come 
over  230,000  Chinese  who  have  been  less  welcome  and  more  harshly  treated 
than  any  of  the  rest. 

This  vast  heterogeneous  mass  of  men  and  women  of  different  races  and 
types  has  become  assimilated  and  equal  under  the  law.  They  have  aided 
much  in  developing  the  resources  of  the  land  and  added  to  its  material  wealth 
in  many  directions.  The  vast  improvement  in  every  department  of  science 
has  kept  pace  with  the  demands  of  the  age.  The  telephone,  the  audiphone, 
the  electric  light,  have  been  invented  during  the  period  of  which  we  are  writ- 
ing. The  future  success  of  this  republic  is  assured  if  the  institutions  of  its 
founders  are  maintained  and  Its  constitution  and  laws  are  kept  unimpaired. 
The  purity  of  the  ballot-box,  the  maintenance  of  public  honor,  the  education 
of  the  masses  and  the  civilization  and  Christianization  of  the  foreign  element 
and  of  the  aborigines  are  demanded  by  the  spirit  of  the  hour.  The  great 
blots  still  remaining  upDn  the  national  character — the  permission  of  polygamy 
and  the  treatment  of  the  Indians — should  be  removed.  The  sanctity  of  the 
marri;ige  relation  and  observance  of  the  Sabbath  should  be  required.  Public 
faith  with  nations,  tribes  and  individuals  is  imperatively  demanded,  and  then 
the  fondest  dreams  of  the  most  enthusiastic  well-wisher  of  his  country  will  be 
realized.  Private  integrity,  sobriety  and  industry,  with  the  qualities  above 
mentioned,  .vill  secure  us  from  the  fate  of  the  old  republics  that  tottered  to 
their  fall  as  soon  as  these  were  wanting. 


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THE   BIRTHPLACE  OF   THOMAS  JEFFERSON. 


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SIGNATURES  TO  THE  DECLARATION  OF  INDEPENDENCE. 


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OF  I 


In  Congress,  July  4th,  1776. 
By  the  Representatives  of  the  United  States,  in  Congress  assembled. 

A  DECLARATION. 


HEN,  in  the  course  of  huirrn  events,  it  becomes 
necessary  for  one  people  to  dissolve  the  political  bands 
which  have  connected  them  with  another,  and  to 
assume  among  the  powers  of  the  earth  the  separate 
and  equal  station  to  which  the  laws  nf  nature  and  of 
nature's  God  entitled  them,  a  decent  respect  for  the 
opinions  of  mankind  requires  that  they  should  declare 
the  causes  which  impel  them  to  the  separation. 

We    hold  these    truths  to  be    self-evident  : — that  all  men  are 
created  equal :  that  they  are  endowed  by  their  Creator  with  certain 
unalienable   rights ;    that   among  these   are   life,   liberty,  and   the 
pursuit  of  happiness ;  that,  to  secure  these  rights,  governments  are 
instituted  among  men,  deriving  their  just  powers  from  the  consent 
of  the  governed  ;  that  whenever  any  form  of  government  becomes 
destructive  of  these  ends  it  is  the  right  of  the  people  to  alter  or  to 
abolish  it,  and  to  institute  a  new  government,  laying  its  foundation  on  such 
principles,  and  organizing  its  powers  in  such  form,  as  to  t  lem  shall  seem  most 
likciy  to  effect  their  safety  and   happiness.     Prudence,  indeed,  will  dictate 
that   governments  long  established   should  not   be  changed   for  light   and 
transient  causes ;  and  accordingly  all  experience  hath  shown  that  mankind 
are  more  disposed  to  suffer,  while  evils  are  sufferable,  than  to  right  themselves 
by  abolishing  the  forms  to  which  they  are  accustomed.     But  when  a  long 
train    of    abuses    and    nsurpations,    pursuing    invariably   the    same    object, 
evinces  a  design  to  reduce  them  under  absolute  despotism,  it  is  their  right,  it 
is  their  duty,  to  throw  off  such  government,  and  to  provide  new  guards  for 
their  future  security      Such  has  been  the  patient  sufferance  of  these  colonies; 
and  such  is  now  the  necessity  which  constrains  them  to  alter  their  former  sys- 
tem of  government.     The  history  of  the  present  king  of  Great  Britain  is  a 
history  of  repeated  injuries  and  usurpations,  all  having  in  direct  object  the 
establishment  of  an  absolute  tyranny  over  these  States.     To  prove  this,  let 
facts  be  submitted  to  a  candid  world. 


■)    'i 


Hill  ;:  i 


n 


'i'  ii 


\U ;  '  % 


55^' 


DECLARATION  OF  INDEPENDENCE. 


He  has  refused  his  assent  to  laws  the  most  wholesome  and  necessary  for 
the  public  good. 

He  has  forbidden  his  governors  to  pass  laws  of  immediate  and  pressing 
importance,  unless  suspended  in  their  operation  till  his  assent  should  be 
obtained;  and,  when  so  suspended,  he  has  utterly  neglected  to  attend  to 
them. 

He  has  refused  to  pass  other  laws  for  the  accommodation  of  large 
districts  of  people,  unless  those  people  would  relinquish  the  right  of  repre- 
sentation in  the  legislature — a  right  inestimable  to  them,  and  formidable  to 
tyrants  only. 

He  has  called  together  legislative  bodies  at  places  unusual,  uncom- 
fortable, and  distant  from  the  depository  of  their  public  records,  for  the 
sole  purpose  of  fatiguing  them  into  compliance  with  his  measures. 

He  has  dissolved  representative  houses  repeatedly,  for  opposing,  with 
manly  firmness,  his  invasions  on  the  rights  o    the  people. 

He  has  refused,  for  a  long  time  ter  such  dissolutions,  to  cause  others  to 
be  elected  ;  whereby  the  legislative  powers,  incapable  of  annihilation,  have 
returned  to  the  people  at  large  for  their  exercise  ;  the  State  remaining,  in  the 
mean  time,  exposed  to  all  the  dan^,  r  invasion  from  without  and  convulsions 
within. 

He  has  endeavored  to  prevent  the  population  of  these  States ;  for  that 
purpose  obstructing  the  laws  for  naturalization  of  foreigners,  refusing  to  pass 
others  to  encourage  their  migration  hither,  and  raising  the  conditions  of  new 
appropriations  of  lands. 

He  has  obstructed  the  administration  of  justice,  by  refusing  his  assent  to 
laws  for  establishing  judiciary  powers. 

He  has  made  judges  dependent  on  his  will  alone  for  the  tenure  of  their 
offices  and  the  amount  and  payment  of  their  salaries. 

He  has  erected  a  multitude  of  new  offices,  and  sent  hither  swarms  of 
officers  to  harass  our  people  and  eat  out  their  substance. 

He  has  kept  among  us,  in  times  of  peace,  standing  armies,  without  the 
consent  of  our  legislatures. 

He  has  affected  to  render  the  military  independent  of  and  superior  to  the 
ij.vil  power. 

He  has  combined  with  others  to  subject  is  to  a  jurisdiction  foreign  to 
our  constitution  and  unacknowledged  by  our  laws;  giving  his  assent  to  their 
acts  of  pretended  legislation, — 

For  quartering  large  bodies  of  armed  troops  among  us  : 

For  protecting  them,  by  a  mock  trial,  from  punishment  for  any  murders 
which  they  should  commit  on  the  inhabitants  of  these  States: 

For  cutving  off  our  trade  with  all  parts  of  the  world  • 

For  impnsincr  taxes  on  us  without  our  consent : 

For  deprivinfT  us,  in  many  cases,  of  the  benefits  of  trial  by  jury: 

For  tranf.porting  us  beyond  seas,  to  be  tried  for  pretended  offenses: 

For  abolishing  the  free  system  of  English  law  in  a  neighboring  province 


DECLARATION  OF  INDEPENDENCE. 


557 


pposing,  with 


er  swarms  of 


■  any  murders 


establishing  therein  an  arbitrary  government,  and  enlarging  its  bouiiuaries  so 
as  to  render  it  at  once  an  example  and  fit  instrument  for  introducing  the 
same  absolute  rule  into  these  colonies  : 

For  taking  away  our  charters,  abolishing  our  most  valuable  laws,  and 
altering  fundamentally  the  forms  of  our  government : 

For  suspending  our  own  legislatures,  and  declaring  themselves  invested 
with  power  to  legislate  for  us  in  all  cases  whatsoever. 

He  has  abdicated  government  here  by  declaring  us  out  of  his  protection, 
and  v/aging  war  against  us. 

He  has  plundered  our  seas,  ravaged  our  coasts,  burned  our  towns,  and 
destroyed  the  lives  of  our  people. 

He  is  at  this  time  transporting  large  armies  of  foreign  mercenaries,  to 
complete  the  works  of  death,  desolation  and  tyranny,  already  begun,  with 
circumstances  of  cruelty  and  perfidy  scarcely  paralled  in  the  most  barbarous 
ages,  and  totally  unworthy  the  head  of  a  civilized  nation. 

He  has  constrained  our  fellow-citizens  taken  captive  on  the  high  seas, 
to  bear  arms  against  their  country,  to  become  the  executioners  of  their 
friends  and  brethren  or  to  fall  themselves  by  their  hands. 

He  has  excited  domestic  insurrections  among  us,  and  has  endeavored  to 
bring  on  the  inhabitants  of  our  frontiers  the  merciless  Indian  savages,  whose 
known  rule  of  warfare  is  an  undistinguished  destruction  of  all  ages,  sexes, 
and  conditions. 

In  every  stage  of  these  oppressions  we  have  petitioned  for  redress  in  the 
most  humble  terms  ;  our  petitions  have  been  answered  only  by  repeated 
injury.  A  prince  whose  character  is  thus  marked  by  every  act  which  may 
define  a  tyrant  is  unfit  to  be  the  ruler  of  a  free  people. 

Nor  have  .ve  been  wanting  in  attention  to  our  British  brethren.  We 
have  warned  them,  from  time  to  time,  of  attempts  made  by  their  legislature 
to  extend  an  unwarrantable  jurisdiction  over  us.  We  have  reminded  them 
of  the  circumstances  of  our  emigration  and  settlement  here.  We  have 
appealed  to  their  native  justice  and  magnanimity,  and  we  have  conjured 
them,  by  the  ties  of  our  common  kindred,  to  disavow  these  usurpations, 
which  would  inevitably  interrupt  our  connections  and  correspondence. 
They,  too,  have  been  deaf  to  the  voice  of  justice  and  consanguinity.  We 
must  therefore  acquiesce  in  the  necessity  which  denounces  our  separation, 
and  hold  them,  as  we  hold  the  rest  of  mankind,  enemies  in  war — in  peace, 
friends. 

We,  therefore,  the  representatives  of  the  United  States  of  America,  in 
general  Congress  assembled,  appealing  to  the  Supreme  Judge  of  the  world 
for  the  rectitude  of  our  intentions,  do  in  the  name  and  by  the  authority  of 
the  good  people  of  these  colonies  solemnly  publish  and  declare  that  these 
United  Colonies  are,  and  of  right  ought  to  be,  free  and  independent  States ; 
that  they  are  absolved  from  all  allegiance  to  the  British  crown,  and  that  all 
political  connection  between  them  and  the  State  of  Great  Britain  is,  and 
ought  to  be,  totally  dissolved ;  and  that,  as  independent  States,  they  have  fuJJ 


•,;•!■;  iJ 


m  I 


h  < 


ivir'iv" 


:  II 


i 


"1 


558 


DECLARATION  OF  INDEPENDENCE. 


J* 


power  to  levy  war,  conclude  peace,  contract  alliances,  establish  commerce, 
and  to  do  all  other  acts  and  things  which  independent  States  may  of -right  do. 
And  for  the  support  of  this  declaration,  with  a  firm  reliance  on  the   protec 
tion  of  Divine  Providence,  we  mutually  pledge  to  each  other  our  lives,  ouj 
fortunes,  and  our  sacred  honor. 

Signed  by  order  and  in  behalf  of  the  Congress. 

JOHN  HANCOCK,  President. 

Attested,  CHARLES  THOMPSON,  Secretary. 


ft*  iJiL 


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% 


n 


A' 


I'  :■ 


Ah    iM 


NEW  HAMPSHIRE. 

JOSIAH    BaHi'LETT, 

William  Whipple, 
Ma'ithew  Thornton. 

MASSACHUSETTS  BAY. 
Samuel  Adams, 
John  Adams, 
Robert  Treat  Paine, 
Elbridoe  Gerry. 

RHODE  ISLAND,  Etc, 

Stephen   Hopkins, 
William  Ellery. 

COXNECTICUT. 
Roger  Sherman, 
Samuel  Huntington, 
William  Williams, 
Oliver  Wulcott. 

NEW  YORK. 
William  Floyd, 
Philip  Livingston, 
Francis  Lewis, 
Lewis  Morris. 

NEW  JERSEY. 

Richard  Stockton, 
John  Witherspoon, 
Francis  Hopkinson, 
John  Hart, 
Abraham  Clark. 

PI.XNSYLVANIA. 
Robert  Morris, 
Ben-jam  IN  Rush, 
Benjamin  Franklin, 
John  Morton, 
George  Clvmer, 


jAiyfES  Smith, 
Geor.;e  T\ylor, 
./.\!vs  Wilson, 
*.iEC'  ;  i:  Ross. 

DELAWARE. 

Caisar  Rodney, 
George  Read, 
Thomas  M'Kean. 

MARYLAND. 

Samuel  Chase, 
William  Paca, 
Thomas  Sione, 
Charles  Carroll,  of  Carrollton.. 

VIRGINIA. 
George  Wythe, 
Richard  Henry  Lee, 
Thomas  Jefferson, 
Benjamin  Harrison, 
Thomas  Nelson,  Jr., 
Francis  Ligittkchjt  Lee, 
Carter  Jjkaxton. 

NORTH  CAROLINA. 
William   Hooper, 
Joseph  Hewks, 
John  Penn. 

SOUTH  CAROLINA. 
Edward  Rutledge, 
Th(jmas  Heyward,  Jr., 
Thomas  Lynch,  Jr., 
Arjhuk  Middle  ton. 

GKORGIA- 

Button  Gwinnett, 
Lyman  Hall, 
George  Walton. 


J' 


1    :t^ 


COfflTUTION  OF  THE  IITED  STATES  OF  AlRICi 

We,  the  people  of  the  United  States,  in  order  to  form  a  more  perfect  union, 
est.ibUsh  justice,  insure  domestic  tranquillity,  provide  for  the  common  de- 
fense, promote  the  general  welfare,  and  secure  the  blessings  of  liberty  to 
ourselves  and  our  posterity,  do  ordain  and  establish  this  Constitution  of 
the  United  States  of  America. 

ARTICLE  I. 

Si'XTlON  I. — All  legislative  powers  herein  granted  shall  be  vested  in  "^ 
Congress  of  the  United  States,  which  shall  consist  of  a  Senate  and  House  ot 
Representatives. 

SliC.  II. — I.  The  House  of  Representatives  shall  be  composed  of  mem- 
bers chosen  every  second  year  by  the  people  of  the  several  States ;  and  he 
electors  in  each  State  shall  have  the  qualifications  requisite  for  electors  of  cne 
most  numerous  branch  of  the  State  legislature. 

2.  No  person  shall  be  a  representative  who  shall  not  have  attained  the 
age  of  twenty-five  years,  and  been  seven  years  a  citizen  of  the  United  States, 
and  who  shall  not,  when  elected,  be  an  inhabitant  of  the  State  in  which  he 
shall  be  chosen. 

3.  Representatives  and  direct  taxes  shall  be  apportioned  among  the  sev- 
eral States  which  may  be  included  within  this  Union,  according  to  their 
respective  numbers,  which  shall  be  determined  by  adding  to  the  whole  number 
of  free  persons,  including  those  bound  to  service  for  a  term  of  years,  and  ex- 
cluding Indians  not  taxed,  three-fifths  of  all  other  persons.  The  actual 
enumeration  shall  be  made  within  three  years  after  the  first  meeting  of  the 
Congress  of  the  United  States,  and  within  every  subsequent  term  often  years,, 
in  such  manner  as  they  shall  by  law  direct.  The  number  of  representatives 
shall  not  exceed  one  for  every  thirty  thousand,  but  each  State  shall  have  at 
least  one  representative ;  and  until  such  enumeration  shall  be  made,  the  State 
of  Nczi.'  Hampshire  shall  be  entitled  to  choose  three  :  Massachusetts,  eight ; 
Rhodi  Island  and  Providence  Plantations,  one;  Connecticut,  five:  Nezv  York, 
six;  Neiv  Jersey,  four,  Pennsylvania,  eight;  Delaware,  one;  Maryland,  six; 
Virginia,  ten ;  North  Carolina,  five ;  Soutli  Carolina,  five ;   Georgia,  tliree. 

4.  When  vacancies  happen  in  the  representation  from  any  State,  the  ex- 
ecutive authority  thereof  shall  issue  writs  of  election  to  fill  such  vacancies. 

5.  The  House  of  Representatives  shall  choose  their  speaker  and   other 
officers,  and  thall  have  the  sole  power  of  impeachment. 

Sec.  III. — I.  The  Senate  of  the  United  States  shall  be  composed  of  two 


?    I 


5^)0 


CONSTITUTION  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


I  m.'M'. 


ml  ■ 


[|  li.i 


senators  from  each  State,  chosen  by  the  legislature  thereof,  for  six  years ;  and 
each  senator  shall  have  one  vote. 

2.  Immediately  after  they  shall  be  assembled  in  consequence  of  the  firht 
©lection,  they  shall  be  divided,  as  equally  as  may  be,  into  three  classes.  Tho 
seats  of  the  senators  of  the  first  class  shall  be  vacated  at  the  expiration  of  the 
second  year,  of  the  second  class  at  the  expiration  of  the  fourth  year,  and  the 
third  class  at  the  expiration  of  the  sixth  year,  so  that  one-third  may  be  chosen 
every  second  year  ;  and  if  vacancies  happen  by  resignation  or  otherwise,  dur- 
ing  the  recess  of  the  legislature  of  any  State,  the  executive  thereof  may  make 
temporary  appointments  until  the  next  meeting  of  the  legislature,  which  shall 
then  fill  such  vacancies. 

3.  No  person  shall  be  a  senator  who  shall  not  have  attained  the  age  of 
thirty  years,  and  been  nine  years  a  citizen  of  the  United  States,  and  who  shall 
not,  when  elected,  be  an  inhabitant  of  that  State  for  which  he  shall  be 
chosen. 

4.  The  Vice-President  of  the  United  States  shall  be  president  of  the 
Senate,  but  shall  have  no  vote,  unless  they  be  equally  divided. 

5.  The  Senate  shall  choose  their  other  officers,  and  also  a  president  pro 
tempore  in  the  absence  of  the  vice-president,  or  when  he  shall  exercise  the 
office  of  President  of  the  United  States. 

6.  The  Senate  shall  have  the  sole  power  to  try  all  impeachments.  When 
sitting  for  that  purpose,  they  shall  be  on  oath  or  affirmation.  When  the 
President  of  the  United  States  is  tried,  the  chief  justice  shall  preside ;  and  no 
person  shall  be  convicted  without  the  concurrence  of  two-thirds  of  the  mem- 
bers present. 

7.  Judgment,  in  cases  of  impeachment,  shall  not  extend  further  than  to 
removal  from  office,  and  disqualification  to  hold  and  enjoy  any  office  of  honor, 
trust,  or  profit  under  the  United  States ;  but  the  party  convicted  shall,  never- 
theless, be  liable  and  subject  to  indictment,  trial,  judgment,  and  punishment, 
according  to  law. 

Sec.  IV. — The  times,  places,  and  manner  of  holding  elections  for  senators 
and  representatives  shall  be  prescribed  in  each  State  by  the  legislature  there- 
of ;  but  the  Congress  may,  at  any  time,  by  law,  make  or  alter  such  regulations, 
except  as  to  the  places  of  choosing  senators. 

2.  The  Congress  shall  assemble  at  least  once  in  every  year ;  and  such 
meeting  shall  be  on  the  first  Monday  in'  December,  unless  they  shall  by  law 
appoint  a  different  day. 

Sec.  V. — I.  Each  house  shall  be  judge  of  the  elections,  returns,  and 
qualifications  of  its  own  members  ;  and  a  majority  of  each  shall  constitute  a 
quorum  to  do  business  ;  but  a  smaller  number  may  adjourn  frcru  day  to  day, 
and  may  be  authorized  to  compel  the  attendance  of  absent  members  in  such 
manner  and  under  such  penalties  as  each  house  may  provide. 

2.  Each  house  may  determine  the  rules  of  its  proceedings,  punish  its 
members  for  disorderly  behavior,  and,  with  the  concurrence  of  two-thirds, 
expel  a  member. 


CONSTITUTION  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


561 


iix  years ;  and 


ebident  of  the 


3.  Each  house  shall  keep  a  journal  of  its  proceedings,  and,  from  time  to 
time,  publish  the  same,  exceptinjT  such  parts  as  may,  in  their  judgment, 
require  secrecy ;  and  the  yeas  and  nays  of  the  members  of  either  house  on 
any  question  shall,  at  the  desire  of  one-fifth  of  those  present,  be  entered  on 
the  journal. 

4.  Neither  house,  during  the  session  of  Congress,  shall,  without  the  con. 
sen-t  of  the  other,  adjourn  for  more  than  three  days,  nor  to  any  other  place 
than  that  in  which  the  two  houses  shall  be  sitting. 

Sec.  VI. — I.  The  senators  and  representatives  shall  receive  a  compensa- 
tion for  their  services,  to  be  ascertained  by  law,  and  paid  out  of  the  treasury 
of  the  United  States.  They  shall,  in  all  cases,  except  treason,  felony,  and 
breach  of  the  peace,  be  privileged  from  arrest  during  their  attendance  at  the 
session  of  their  respective  houses,  and  in  going  to  or  returning  from  the  same;  • 
and  for  any  speech  or  debate  in  either  house  they  shall  not  be  questioned  in 
any  other  place. 

2.  No  senator  or  representative  shall,  during  the  time  for  which  he  was 
elected,  be  appointed  to  any  civil  office  under  the  authority  of  the  United 
vStates  which  sliall  have  been  created,  or  the  emoluments  whereof  shall  have 
been  increased,  during  such  time  ;  and  no  person  holding  any  office  under  the 
United  States  shall  be  a  member  of  cither  house  during  his  continuance  in 
office. 

Skc.  VII.  —  I.  All  bills  for  raising  revenue  shall  originate  in  the  House  of 
Representatives  ;  but  the  Senate  may  propose  or  concur  with  amendments,  as 
on  other  bills. 

2.  Every  bill  which  shall  have  passed  the  House  of  Representatives  and 
the  Senate  shall,  before  it  becomes  a  law,  be  presented  to  the  President  of  the 
United  States;  if  he  approve,  he  shall  sign  it;  but  if  not,  he  shall  return  it, 
with  his  objections,  to  that  house  in  which  it  shall  have  originated,  who  shall 
enter  the  objections  at  large  on  their  journal  and  proceed  to  reconsider  it. 
If,  after  such  reconsideration,  two-thirds  of  that  house  shall  agree  to  pass  the 
bill,  it  shall  be  sent,  together  with  the  objections,  to  the  other  house  ;  and  if 
approved  by  two-thirds  of  that  house,  it  shall  become  a  law.  But  in  all  such 
cases  the  votes  of  both  houses  shall  be  determined  by  yeas  and  nays ;  and  the 
names  of  the  persons  voting  for  and  against  the  bill  shall  be  entered  on  the 
journals  of  each  house  respectively.  If  any  bill  shall  not  be  returned  by  the 
President  within  ten  days  (Sundays  excepted)  after  it  shall  have  been  presented 
to  him,  the  same  shall  be  a  law,  in  like  manner  as  if  he  had  signed  it,  unless 
Congress,  by  their  adjournment,  prevent  its  return  ;  in  which  case  it  shall  not 
be  a  law. 

3.  Every  order,  resolution,  or  vote,  to  which  the  concurrence  of  the  Sen- 
ate and  House  of  Representatives  may  be  necessary  (except  on  a  question  of 
adjournment)  shall  be  presented  to  the  President  of  the  United  States,  and 
before  the  same  shall  take  effect  shall  be  approved  by  him  or,  being  disap- 
proved by  him,  shall  be  repassed  bv  two-thirds  of  the  Senate  and    House  of 


1   . 


hm  i 

■V.l    i 


'III !  i 


1 


563 


CONSTITUTION  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


Representatives,  according  to  the  rules  and  limitations  prescribed  in  the  case 
of  a  bill. 

Skc.  VIII. — The  Congress  shall  have  power — 

1.  To  lay  and  collect  taxes,  duties,  imposts,  and  excises;  to  pay  tho 
debts  and  provide  for  the  common  defense  and  general  welfare  of  the  United 
States :  but  all  duties,  imposts,  and  excises  shall  be  uniform  throughout  the 
United  States  : 

2.  To  borrow  money  on  the  credit  of  the  United  States : 

3.  To  regulate  commerce  with  foreign  nations,  and  among  the  several 
States,  and  with  the  Indian  tribes: 

4.  To  establish  a  uniform  rule  of  naturalization,  and  uniform  laws  on  the 
subject  of  bankruptcies,  throughout  the  United  States: 

5.  To  coin  money,  regulate  the  value  thereof,  and  of  foreign  coin,  and  fix 
the  standard  of  weights  and  measures : 

6.  To  provide  for  the  punishment  of  counterfeiting  (he  securities  and 
current  coin  of  the  United  States : 

7.  To  establish  post-oflRces  and  post-roads  : 

8.  To  promote  the  progress  of  science  and  useful  arts,  by  securing,  for 
limited  times,  to  authors  and  inventors  the  exclusive  right  to  their  respective 
writings  and  discoveries : 

9.  To  constitute  tribunals  inferior  to  the  supreme  court : 

10.  To  define  and  punish  piracies  and  felonies  committed  on  the  hi^^h 
seas,  and  offenses  against  the  law  of  nations: 

11.  To  declare  war,  grant  letters  of  marque  and  reprisal,  and  make  rules 
concerning  captures  on  land  and  water : 

12.  To  raise  and  support  armies  ;  but  no  appropriation  of  money  to  that 
use  shall  be  for  a  longer  term  than  two  years : 

13.  To  provide  and  maintain  a  navy: 

14.  To  make  rules  for  the  government  and  regulation  of  the  land  and 
naval  forces  : 

15.  To  provide  for  calling  forth  the  militia  to  execute  the  laws  of  the 
Union,  suppress  insurrections,  and  repel  invasions: 

16.  To  provide  for  organizing,  arming,  and  disciplining  the  militia,  and 
for  governing  such  part  of  them  as  may  be  employed  in  the  service  of  the 
United  States,  reserving  to  the  States  respectively  the  appointment  of  the 
ofticers,  and  the  authority  of  traini.'g  the  militia,  according  to  the  discipline 
prescribed  by  Congress: 

17.  To  exercise  exclusive  legislation,  in  all  cases  whatsoever,  over  such 
district  (not  exceeding  ten  miles  square)  as  may  by  ccssionof  particular  States, 
and  the  acceptance  of  Congress,  become  the  seat  of  government  of  the  United 
States,  and  to  exercise  like  authority  over  all  places  purchased  by  the  consent 
of  the  legislature  of  the  State  in  which  the  same  shall  be,  for  the  erection  of 
forts,  magazines,  arsenals,  dock-yards,  and  other  needful  buildings :  And, 

18.  To  make  all  laws  which  shall  be  necessary  and  proper  for  carrying 
into  execution  the  foregoing  powers,  and  all  other  powers  vested  by  this  con* 


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CONSTITUTION  OF  THE  UNITF.D  STA  i  r.S. 


5^3 


stitution  in  the  government  of  the  United  States,  or  in  any  department  of 
officer  thereof. 

Skc.  IX. —  I.  The  migration  or  importation  of  such  persons  as  any  of  the 
States,  now  existing,  shall  think  proper  to  admit,  shall  not  be  prohibited  by 
the  Congress  prior  to  the  year  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  eight ;  but  a 
tax  or  duty  may  be  imposed  on  such  importations,  not  exceeding  ten  dollars 
for  each  person. 

2.  The  privilege  of  the  writ  of  habeas  corpus  shall  not  be  suspended, 
unless  when,  in  cases  of  rebellion  or  invasion,  the  public  safety  may  require 
it. 

3.  No  bill  of  attainder,  or  ex  post  facto  law,  shall  be  passed. 

4.  No  capitation  or  other  direct  tax  shall  be  laid,  unless  in  proportion  to 
the  census  or  enumeration  herein  before  directed  to  be  taken. 

5.  No  tax  or  duty  shall  be  laid  on  articles  exported  from  any  State.  No 
preference  shall  be  given,  by  any  regulation  of  commerce  or  revenue,  to  the 
ports  of  one  State  over  those  of  another  ;  nor  shall  vessels  bound  to  or  from 
one  State  be  obliged  to  enter,  clear,  or  p.iy  duties  in  another. 

6.  No  money  shall  be  drawn  from  the  treasury,  but  in  consequence  of 
appropriations  made  by  law ;  and  a  regular  statement  and  account  of  the 
receipts  and  expenditures  of  all  public  money  shall  be  published  from  time  to 
time. 

7.  No  title  of  nobility  shall  be  granted  by  the  United  States;  and  no 
person  holding  any  office  of  profit  or  trust  under  them  shall,  without  the 
consent  of  the  Congress,  accept  of  any  present,  emolument,  office,  or  title  of 
any  kind  whatever,  from  any  king,  prince,  or  foreign  State. 

Sec.  X. — I.  No  State  shall  enter  into  any  treaty,  alliance,  or  confed- 
eration ;  grant  letters  of  marque  and  reprisal  ;  coin  money ;  emit  bills  of 
credit  ;  make  anything  but  gold  and  silver  coin  a  tender  in  payment  of  debts; 
pass  any  bill  of  attainder,  ex  post  facto  law,  or  law  impairing  the  obligation  of 
contracts;  or  grant  any  title  of  nobility. 

2.  No  State  shall,  without  the  consent  of  Congress,  lay  any  imposts  or 
duties  on  imports  or  exports,  except  what  may  be  absolutely  necessary  for 
executing  its  inspection  laws  ;  and  the  net  produce  of  all  duties  and  imposts 
laid  by  any  State  on  imports  or  exports,  shall  be  for  the  use  of  the  treasury 
of  the  United  States  ;  and  all  such  laws  shall  be  subject  to  the  revision  and 
control  of  the  Congress.  No  State  shall,  without  the  consent  of  Congress, 
lay  any  duty  on  tonnage,  keep  roops  or  ships  of  war  in  time  of  peace,  enter 
into  any  agreement  or  compact  uith  another  State  or  with  a  foreign  power, 
or  engage  in  war,  unless  actually  invaded,  or  in  such  imminent  danger  as  will 
not  admit  of  delay. 

ARTICLE  II. 

Sec.  I. — I.  The  executive  power  shall  be  vested  in  a  President  of  the 
United  States  of  America.     He  shall  hold  his  office  during  the  term  of  foui 


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CONSTITUTION  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


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years,  and,  togetner  with  the  Vice-President,  chosen  for  the  same  term,  be 
elected  as  follows : 

2.  Each  State  shall  appoint,  in  such  manner  as  the  legislature  thereof 
may  direct,  a  number  of  electors,  equal  to  the  whole  number  of  senators  and 
representatives  to  which  the  State  may  be  entitled  in  the  Congress  ;  but  no 
senator  or  representative,  or  person  holding  an  office  of  trust  or  profit  under 
the  United  States,  shall  be  appointed  an  elector. 

3.  [Annulled.     See  Amendments,  art.    12.] 

4.  The  Congress  may  determine  the  time  of  choosing  the  electors,  and  the 
day  on  which  they  shall  give  their  votes,  which  day  shall  be  the  same 
throughout  the  United  States. 

5.  No  person  except  a  natural-born  citizen,  or  a  citizen  of  the  United 
States  at  the  time  of  the  adoption  of  this  constitution,  shall  be  eligible  to  the 
office  of  President ;  neither  shall  any  person  be  eligible  to  that  office  who 
shall  not  have  attained  the  age  of  thirty-five  years,  and  been  fourteen  years  a 
resident  within  the  United  States. 

6.  In  case  of  the  removal  of  the  President  from  office,  or  of  his  death, 
resignation,  or  inability  to  discharge  the  powers  and  duties  of  said  office,  the 
same  shall  devolve  on  the  Vice-President  ;  and  the  Congress  may  by  law 
provide  for  the  case  of  removal,  death,  resignation,  or  inability,  both  of  the 
President  and  Vice-President,  declaring  what  officer  shall  then  act  as  President, 
and  such  officer  shall  act  accordingly,  until  the  disability  be  removed,  or  a 
President  shall  be  elected. 

7.  The  President  shall,  at  stated  times,  receive  for  his  services  a  com- 
pensation which  shall  neither  be  increased  nor  diminished  during  the  period 
for  which  he  shall  have  been  elected  ;  and  he  shall  not  receive,  within  that 
period,  any  other  emolument  from  the  United  States,  or  any  of  them. 

8.  Before  he  enter  on  the  execution  of  his  office,  he  shall  take  the  follow- 
ing oath  or  affirmation  : — 

"  I  do  solemnly  swear  (or  affirm)  that  I  will  faithfully  execute  the  office 
of  President  of  the  United  States,  and  v/ill,  to  the  best  of  my  ability, 
preserve,  protect,  and  defend  the  constitution  of  the  United  States." 

Sec.  II. — I.  The  President  shall  be  commander-in-chief  of  the  army 
and  navy  of  the  United  States,  and  of  the  militia  of  the  several  States,  when 
called  into  the  actual  service  of  the  United  States :  he  may  require  the 
opinion,  in  v»riting,  of  the  principal  officer  in  each  of  the  executive  depart- 
ments upon  any  subject  relating  to  the  duties  of  their  respective  offices  ;  and 
he  shall  have  power  to  grant  reprieves  and  pardons  for  offenses  against  the 
United  States,  except  in  cases  of  impeachment. 

2.  He  shall  have  power,  by  and  with  the  advice  and  consent  of  the  Sen- 
ate, to  make  treaties,  provided  two-thirds  of  the  senators  present  concur ;  and 
he  shall  nominate,  and  by  and  with  the  advice  and  consent  of  the  Senate  shall 
appoint,  ambassadors,  other  public  ministers,  and  consuls,  judges  of  the 
supreme  court,  and  all  other  officers  of  the  United  States  whose  appoint- 
ments are  not  herein  otherwise  provided  for,  and  which  shall  be  established 


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CONSTITUTION  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


565 


by  law.  But  the  Congress  may,  by  law,  vest  the  appointment  of  such  inferior 
ofificers  as  they  think  proper  in  the  President  alone,  in  the  courts  of  law,  or  in 
the  heads  of  departments. 

3.  The  President  shall  have  power  to  fill  up  all  vacancies  that  may 
happen  during  the  recess  of  the  Senate,  by  granting  commissions,  which  shall 
expire  at  the  end  of  their  next  session. 

Sec.  III. — He  shall,  from  time  to  time,  give  to  the  Congress  informa- 
tion of  the  state  of  the  Union,  and  recommend  to  their  consideration  such 
measures  as  he  shall  judge  necessary  and  expedient  ;  he  may,  on  extraordi- 
nary occasions,  convene  both  houses,  or  either  of  them,  and  In  case  of  disa- 
greement between  them  with  respect  to  the  time  of  adjournment,  he  may 
adjourn  them  to  such  time  as  he  shall  think  proper ;  he  shall  receive  ambassa- 
dors, and  other  public  ministers  ;  he  shall  take  care  that  the  laws  be  faithfully 
executed  ;  and  shall  commission  all  the  ofificers  of  the  United  States. 

Sec.  IV. — The  President,  Vice-President,  and  all  civil  officers  of  the 
United  States,  shall  be  removed  from  office  on  impeachment  for,  and  convic- 
tion of.  treason,  bribery,  or  other  high  crimes  and  misdemeanors. 

ARTICLE  III. 

Sec.  I. — The  judicial  power  of  the  United  States  shall  be  vested  in  one 
supreme  court,  and  in  such  inferior  courts  as  the  Congress  may,  from  time  to 
time,  ordain  and  establish.  The  judges,  both  of  the  supreme  and  inferior 
courts,  shall  hold  their  offices  during  good  behavior,  and  shall,  at  stated 
times,  receive  for  their  services  a  compensation  which  shall  not  be  diminished 
during  their  continuance  in  office. 

Sec.  II. — I.  The  judicial  power  shall  extend  to  all  cases  in  law  and 
equity  arising  under  this  constitution,  the  laws  of  the  United  States,  and 
treaties  made,  or  which  shall  be  made,  under  their  authority;  to  all  cases 
affecting  ambassadors,  and  other  nublic  ministers,  and  consuls;  to  all  cases  of 
admiralty  and  maritime  jurisdiction  ;  to  controversies  to  which  the  United 
States  shall  be  a  party ;  to  controversies  between  two  or  more  States ; 
between  a  State  and  citizens  of  another  State  ;  between  citizens  of  different 
States ;  between  citizens  of  the  same  State,  claiming  lands  under  grants  of 
different  States,  and  between  a  State,  or  the  citizens  thereof,  and  foreign 
States,  citizens  or  subjects. 

2.  In  all  cases  affecting  ambassadors,  other  public  ministers,  and  consuls 
and  those  in  which  a  State  shall  be  a  party,  the  supreme  court  shall  have 
original  jurisdiction.  In  all  other  cases  before  mentioned,  the  supreme  court 
shall  have  appellate  jurisdiction,  both  as  to  law  and  fact,  with  such  exceptions, 
and  under  such  regulations,  as  the  Congress  shall  make. 

3.  The  trial  of  all  crimes,  except  in  cases  of  impeachment,  shall  be  by 
jury ;  and  such  trial  shall  be  held  in  the  State  where  the  said  crimes  shall  have 
been  committed ;  but  when  not  committed  within  any  State,  the  trial  shall  be 
at  such  a  place  or  places  as  the  Congress  may  by  law  have  directed. 


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566 


CONSTITUTION  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


Sec.  III.— I.  Treason  against  the  United  States  shall  consist  only  in 
levying  war  against  them,  or  in  adhering  to  their  enemies,  giving  them  aid 
and  comfort.  No  persoii  shall  be  convicted  of  treason,  unless  on  the  testi- 
mony  of  two  witnesses  to  the  same  overt  act,  or  confessions  in  open  court. 

2.  The  Congress  shall  have  power  to  declare  the  punishment  of  treason 
but  no  attainder  of  treason  shall  work  corruption  of  blood,  or  forfeiture,  except 
during  the  life  of  the  person  attainted. 

ARTICLE  IV. 


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Sec.  I.— Full  faith  and  credit  shall  be  given  in  each  State  to  the  public 
acts,  records,  and  judicial  proceedings  of  every  other  State.  And  the  Con- 
gress  may,  by  general  laws,  prescribe  the  manner  in  which  such  acts,  records, 
and  proceedings  shall  be  proved,  and  the  effect  thereof. 

Sec.  II. — I.  The  citizens  of  each  State  shall  be  entitled  to  all  privileges 
and  immunities  of  citizens  in  the  several  States. 

2.  A  person  charged  in  an  /  State  with  treason,  felony,  or  other  crime, 
who  shall  flee  from  justice,  and  be  found  in  another  State,  shall,  on  demand 
of  the  executive  authority  of  the  State  from  which  he  fled,  be  delivered  up  to 
be  removed  to  the  State  having  jurisdiction  of  the  crime. 

3.  No  person  held  to  service  or  labor  in  one  State,  under  the  laws  thereof, 
escaping  into  another,  shall,  in  consequence  of  any  law  or  regulation  therein, 
be  discharged  from  such  service  or  labor,  but  shall  be  delivered  upon  claim 
of  the  party  to  whom  such  service  or  labor  may  be  due. 

Sec.  III. — I.  New  States  may  be  admitted  by  the  Congress  into  this 
Union,  but  no  new  State  shall  be  formed  or  erected  within  the  jurisdiction  of 
any  other  State :  nor  any  State  be  formed  by  the  junction  of  two  or  more 
States,  or  parts  of  States,  without  the  consent  of  the  legislature  of  the  States 
concerned,  as  well  as  of  the  Congress. 

2.  The  Congress  shall  have  power  to  dispose  of  and  make  all  needful 
rules  and  regulations  respectin<;j  the  territory  or  other  property  belonging  to 
the  United  States  ,  and  nothing  in  this  constitution  shall  be  so  construed  as 
to  prejudice  any  claims  of  the  United  States,  or  of  any  particular  State. 

Sec.  IV. — The  United  States  shall  guarantee  to  every  State  of  this  Union 
a  republican  form  of  government,  and  shall  protect  each  of  them  against 
invasion,  and,  on  application  of  the  legislature,  or  of  the  executive  (when  the 
legislature  can  not  be  convened),  against  domestic  violence. 


ARTICLE  V. 

The  Congress,  whenever  two-thirds  of  both  houses  shall  deem  it  .  .  ^ssaiy, 
shall  propose  amendments  to  this  constitution,  or,  on  the  application  of  the 
legislatures  of  two-thirds  of  the  several  States,  shall  call  a  convention  for  pro- 
posing amendments,  which,  in  either  case,  shall  be  valid  to  all  intents  and 
purposes,  as  part  of  this  constitution,  when  ratified  by  the  legislatures  of  three. 


CONSTITUTION  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


567 


'fourths  of  the  several  States,  or  by  conventions  in  three-fourths  thereof,  as 
the  one  or  the  other  mode  of  ratification  may  be  proposed  by  the  Congress: 
provided  that  no  amendment  which  may  be  made  prior  to  the  year  one 
thousand  eight  hundred  and  eight  shall  in  any  manner  affect  the  first  and 
fourth  clauses  in  the  ninth  section  of  the  first  article  ,  and  that  no  State,  with- 
out its  consent,  shall  be  deprived  of  its  equal  suffrage  in  the  Senate. 

ARTICLE  VI. 

1.  All  debts  contracted,  and  engagements  entered  into,  before  the 
adoption  of  this  constitution,  shall  be  as  valid  against  the  United  States 
under  this  constitution  as  under  the  confederation. 

2.  This  constitution,  and  the  laws  of  the  United  States  which  shall  be 
made  in  pursuance  thereof,  and  all  treaties  made,  or  which  shall  be  made, 
under  the  authority  of  the  United  States,  shall  be  the  supreme  law  of  the 
land;  and  the  judges  in  every  State  shall  be  bound  thereby,  anything  in  the 
constitution  or  laws  of  any  State  to  the  contrary  notwithstanding. 

3.  The  senators  and  representatives  before  mentioned,  and  the  members 
of  the  several  State  legislatures,  and  all  executive  and  judicial  officers,  both 
of  the  United  States  and  of  the  several  States,  shall  be  bound  by  an  oath  or 
affirmation  to  support  this  constitution  ;  but  no  religious  test  shall  ever  be 
required  as  a  qualification  to  any  office  or  public  trust  under  the  United 
States. 

ARTICLE  VIL 

The  ratification  of  the  conventions  of  nine  States  shall  be  sufficient  for 
the  establishment  of  this  constitution  between  the  States  so  ratifying  the 
same. 

Done  in  convent!  41,  by  the  un  inimous  consent  of  the  States  present,  the 
seventeenth  day  of  September,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand 
seven  hundred  and  eighty-seven,  and  of  the  independence  of  the  United 
States  of  America  the  twelfth.  In  witness  whereof,  we  have  hereunto 
subscribed  our  names. 

GEORGE  WASHINGTON, 

President,  and  Deputy  from  Virginia. 


NEW  HAMPSHIRE. 

John  Langpon, 
Nicholas  Gilman. 

MASSACHUSETTS. 

Nathaniki,  Gorham, 
RuFi!s  Kino. 

CONNECTICUT. 

Wm.  Samukl  Johnson, 
Roger  Sher.van, 


NEW  YORK. 
Alexander  Hamilton. 

NEW  JERSEY. 

William  Livingston, 
David  Bkearlkv, 
William  1'attkrson, 
Jonathan  Dayton. 


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568 


CONSTITUTION  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


PENN?>'L*/AWIA. 
Bentamin  Ika:,Ivi.in, 
Thomas  Mihi'LiN, 
Robert  Morris, 
George  C'LVMEii. 
Thomas  Fiizsimons, 
Jarei)  Incersoll, 
James  VVii.so.v, 
gouverneur  morris. 

DELAWARE. 

George  Read, 
GuNMiNo  Eedford,  Jr., 
John  Dickinson, 
Richard  ISassett, 
Jacoi!  Broom. 

MARYLAND. 
James  M'Henrv, 
Dan'l  of  St.  Tho.  Jenifer, 
Daniel  Carroll. 


VIRGINIA. 

John  Blair, 
James  Madison,  Jr. 

NORTH  CAROLINA. 

William  Blount 
Rich.  Dobbs  Spaight, 
Hugh  Williamson. 

SOUTH  CAROLINA. 

John  Rutledge, 
Charles  C  Pinckney, 
Charles    Pinckney, 
Pierce  Butler. 

GEORGIA. 

William  Few, 
Abraham  Baldwin. 


Attest,        WILLIAM   JACKSON,  Secretary. 
AMENDMENTS  TO  THE  CONSTITUTION. 

Art.  I. — Congress  shall  make  no  law  respecting  an  establishment  of 
religion,  or  prohibiting  the  free  exercise  thereof;  or  abridging  the  freedom  of 
speech,  or  of  the  press  ;  or  the  right  of  the  people  peaceably  to  assemble  and 
to  petition  the  government  for  a  redress  of  grievances. 

Art.  II. — A  well-regulated  militia  being  necessary  to  the  security  of  a 
free  State,  the  right  of  the  people  to  keep  and  bear  arms  shall  not  be 
infringed. 

Art.  III. — No  soldier  shall,  in  time  of  peace,  be  quartered  ii.  any  house 
without  the  consent  of  the  owner,  nor  in  time  of  war  but  in  <;  .r.ri'iner  to  be 
prescribed  by  the  law. 

Art.  IV. — The  rif^ht  of  the  people  to  be  secure  in  their  persons,  houses, 
papers,  and  effects,  af  inst  unreasonable  searches  and  seizures,  shall  not  be 
violated  ;  and  no  warrants  shall  issue  but  upon  probable  cause,  supported  by 
oath  or'affirmation,  and  particularly  describing  the  place  to  be  searched,  anil 
the  persons  or  third's  to  be  seized. 

Art.  V. — No  person  shall  be  held  to  answer  for  a  capital  or  otherwise 
infamous  crime,  unless  on  a  presentment  or  indictment  of  a  grand  jury, 
except  in  cases  arising  in  the  land  or  naval  forces,  or  in  the  militia  when  in 
actual  service,  in  time  of  war  or  public  danger  ;  nor  shall  any  person  be  sub- 
ject for  the  same  '..-f.Mise  to  be  twice  put  in  jeopardy  of  life  or  limb  ;  nor  shall 
be  compelled,  in  any  criminal  c?-  ,  to  be  witness  against  him.self,  nor  be  de- 
prived of  life,  liberty,  or  property,  without  due  process  of  law  ;  nor  shall 
private  property  b-:  taken  for  public  use  without  j.ist  comoensation. 

Art.  Vr. — In  sll  criniin;!'  j.tosc  utions,  ihe  accused  shall  enjoy  tl'c  right 
to  a  speedy  and  public  vrial  by  an  imparli.,1  jury  of  the  State  and  district 
wherein  the  crime  shall  ha\  ■  been  committed,  which  district  shall  have  been 


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CONSTITITUIION  OF  THE  UNITED  STATF,S. 


569 


irclicd,  and 


previously  ascertained  by  law,  and  to  l^e  informed  of  the  nature  and  cause  of 
ihe  accusation  ;  to  be  confronted  with  the  witnesses  against  him ;  to  have 
compulsory  process  for  obtaining  witnesses  in  his  favor;  and  to  have  the 
assistance  of  counsel  for  his  defense. 

Art.  VII. — In  suits  of  common  law,  where  the  value  in  controversy 
shall  exceed  twenty  dollars,  the  right  of  trial  by  jury  shall  be  preserved  ;  and 
no  fact,  tried  by  a  jury,  shall  be  otherwise  reexamined  in  any  court  of  the 
United  States  than  according  to  the  rules  of  the  common  law. 

Art.  VIII. — Erccessive  bail  shall  not  be  required,  nor  excessive  fines  im- 
posed, nor  cruel  and  unusual  punishments  inflicted. 

Art.  IX. — The  enumeration  in  the  constitution  of  certain  rights  shall  not 
be  construed  to  deny  or  disparage  others  retained  by  the  peopl'^. 

Art.  X. — The  powers  not  delegated  to  the  United  States  by  the  consti- 
tution, nor  prohibited  by  it  to  the  States,  are  reserved  to  the  States  respec- 
tively, or  to  the  people. 

Art.  XI. — The  judicial  power  of  the  United  States  shall  not  be  con- 
strued to  extend  to  any  suit  in  law  or  equity  commenced  or  prosecuted 
against  one  of  the  United  States  by  citizens  of  another  State,  or  by  citizens  or 
subjects  of  any  fopjign  State. 

Art.  XII. —  I.  The  electors  shall  meet  in  their  respective  States,  and  vote 
by  ballot  for  President  and  Vice-President,  one  of  whom,  at  least,  shall  not  be 
an  inhabitant  of  the  same  State  with  themselves ;  they  shall  name  in  their 
ballots  the  persons  voted  for  as  President,  and  in  distinct  ballots  the  person 
voted  for  as  Vice-President :  and  they  shall  make  distinct  lists  of  all  persons 
voted  for  as  President,  and  of  all  persons  voted  for  as  Vice-President,  and  of 
the  number  of  votes  for  each  ;  which  lists  they  shall  sign  and  certify,  and 
transmit,  sealed,  to  the  seat  of  the  government  of  the  United  States, 
directed  to  the  president  of  the  Senate.  The  president  of  the  Senate  shall,  in 
the  presence  of  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives,  open  all  the 
certificates,  and  the  votes  shall  then  be  counted  ;  the  person  having  the 
greatest  number  of  votes  for  President  shall  be  President,  if  such  number  bo  a 
majority  of  the  whole  number  of  electors  appointed  ;  and  if  no  person  have 
such  majority,  then  from  the  persons  having  the  highest  number,  not  exceed- 
ing three,  on  the  list  of  those  voted  for  as  President,  the  House  of  Represen' 
tatives  shall  choose  immediately,  by  ballot,  the  President.  But,  in  choosing 
the  President,  the  votes  shall  be  taken  by  States,  the  representation  from  each 
State  having  one  vote  ;  a  quorum  for  this  purpose  shall  consist  of  a  member 
or  members  from  two-thirds  of  the  States,  and  a  majority  of  all  the  States 
shall  be  necessary  to  a  choice.  And  if  the  House  of  Representatives  shall  not 
choose  a  President,  whenever  the  right  of  choir  -  shall  devolve  upon  them, 
before  the  fourth  day  of  March  next  following,  then  the  Vice-President  shall 
act  as  President,  as  in  the  case  of  the  death  or  other  constitutional  disability  of 
the  President. 

2.  The  person  having  the  greatest  number  of  votes  as  Vice-President 
shall  be  the  Vice-President,   if  such   number   be  a    majority  of    the   whole 


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CONSTITUTION  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


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number  of  electors  appointed ;  and  if  no  person  have  a  majority,  then  from' 
the  two  highest  numbers  on  the  list  the  Senate  shall  choose  the  Vice-Presi- 
dent ;  a  quorum  for  the  purpose  shall  consist  of  two-thirds  of  the  whole 
number  of  senators,  and  a  majority  of  the  whole  number  shall  be  necessary 
to  a  choice. 

3.  Ikit  no  person  constitutionally  ineligible  to  the  office  of  President  shall 
be  eligible  to  that  of  Vice-President  of  the  United  States. 

Art.  XIII. — I.  Neither  slavery  nor  involuntary  servitude,  except  as  a 
punishment  for  crime,  whereof  the  party  shall  have  been  duly  convicted, 
shall  exist  within  the  United  Stp.tes,  or  any  place  subject  to  their  jurisdiction, 

2.  Congress  shall  have  power  to  enforce  this  article  by  appropriate  legis- 
lation. 

Art.  XIV. — i.  All  persons  born  or  naturalized  in  the  United  States, 
and  subject  to  the  jurisdiction  thereof,  are  citizens  of  the  United  States  and 
of  the  State  wherein  they  reside.  No  State  shall  make  or  enforce  any  law 
which  shall  abridge  the  privileges  or  immunities  of  citizens  of  the  United 
States ;  nor  shall  any  State  deprive  any  person  of  life,  liberty,  or  property, 
without  due  process  of  law,  nor  deny  to  any  person  within  its  jurisdiction  the 
equal  protection  of  the  laws. 

2.  Representatives  shall  be  appointed  among  the  several  States  accord- 
ing to  their  respective  numbers,  counting  the  whole  number  of  persons  in 
each  State,  excluding  Indians  not  taxed.  Ikit  when  the  right  to  vote  at  an\- 
election  for  the  choice  of  electors  for  President  and  Vice-P  sident  of  the 
United  States,  lepn-sentatives  in  Cf  rgress,  the  executive  or  judicial  officers 
of  a  State,  or  the  members  of  the  Legislature  thereof,  is  denied  to  any  of 
the  mal',  inhabitants  of  such  State,  being  twenty-one  years  of  age,  and 
citizens  of  the  United  States,  or  in  any  way  abridged,  except  for  j)articipation 
in  rebellion  or  other  crime,  the  basis  of  repr-sentation  therein  shall  be 
reduced  in  the  proportion  which  the  nun  b  :r  of  such  male  citizens  shall  bear 
to  the  whole  number  of  male  citizens  twenty-one  )ears  of  agr  in  such  State. 

3.  No  person  shall  be  a  senator  or  representative  in  Congress,  or  elector 
of  President  and  Vice-President,  or  hold  any  oftice,  civil  or  military,  under  the 
United  States,  or  under  any  State,  ^"ho  having  previously  taken  an  oath  as  a 
member  if  Congress,  or  as  an  officer  of  the  United  State-^.  or  as  a  member  of 
any  State  Legislature,  or  as  u.i  '.xecuti\L  or  judicial  officer  of  any  State,  to 
support  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States,  shall  have  engaged  in  insurrec- 
tion or  rebellion  against  the  sauic,  or  riven  aid  or  comfort  to  the  eneniio 
thereof.  Put  Congress  may,  by  a  vove  of  t  v  o-thirds  of  each  house,  remove 
such  disability. 

4.  The\'alidity  of  the  public  debt  of  the  LTnited  States,  authorized  by  law, 
including  debts  incurred  for  -.jayments  <■{  pensions  and  bounties  ior  services 
in  suppressing  insurrectiov  or  rebellion,  shall  not  be  (juestioned.  But  neither 
the  United  States  nor  any  State  shall  assume  or  pay  any  debt  or  obligation 
incurred  in  aid  of  insurrection  or  rebellion  against  the  United  States,  or  any 


■f 


esident  shall 


EMANCIPATION  PROCLAMATION. 


5;f 


claim  for  the  loss  or  emancipation  of  any  slave ;  but  all  such  debts,  obliga« 
tions,  and  claims  shall  be  held  illegal  and  void. 

5.  Congress  shall  have  power  to  enforce,  by  appropriate  legislation,  the 
provisions  of  this  article. 

Art.  XV. — l.  The  rights  of  citizens  of  the  United  States  to  vote  shall 
not  be  denied  or  abridged  by  the  United  States,  or  by  any  State,  on  account 
of  race,  color  or  previous  condition  of  servitude. 

2.  Congress  shall  have  power  to  enforce  this  article  by  appropriate 
legislation. 


Ifiiil  i 


ION. 


BY  THE   PRESIDENT  OF  THE   UNITED   STATES  OF    AMERICA. 


Whereas,  on  the  twenty-second  day  of  September,  in  the  year  of  our 
Lord  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  sixty-two,  a  Proclamation  was  issued 
b)'  the  President  of  the  United  States,  containing  among  other  things  the 
following,  to  wit  : 

"  That  on  the  first  day  of  January,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand 
eight  hundred  and  sixty-three,  all  persons  held  as  slaves  withinany  State,  or 
designated  part  of  a  State,  the  people  whereof  shall  then  be  in  rebellion  against 
the  United  States,  shall  be  then,  thenceforward  and  forever  free,  and  the  exec- 
utive government  of  the  United  States,  including  the  military  and  naval 
autluirity  thereof,  will  recognize  and  maintain  the  freedom  of  such  persons, 
and  will  ilo  no  act  or  acts  to  repress  such  persons,  or  any  of  them,  in  any 
efforts  they  may  make  for  their  actual  freedom." 

"Tiiat  the  executive  will,  on  the  first  day  of  January  aforesaid,  by  proc- 
lamation, designate  the  States  and  parts  of  States,  if  any,  in  which  the  people 
thereof  respectively  shall  then  be  in  rebellion  against  the  United  States,  an  ■ 
t!ie  fact  that  any  State,  or  the  people  thereof,  shall  on  that  day  be  in  gooo 
faith  represented  in  the  Congress  of  the  L^niteti  States  by  members  chosen 
thereto  at  elections  wherein  a  majority  of  the  qualified  voters  of  such  State 
shall  have  partici[)ated,  shall,  in  the  absence  of  strong  countervailing  testi- 
mony. }tc  deemed  conclusive  evidence  that  such  State  and  the  people  thereof 
are  not  then  in  rebellion  against  the  L'liitrtI  .States." 

Now,  therefore,  I,  Ahkaham  LlNCOl.X,  President  of  the  United  States, 
by  virtue  of  the  power  in  me  vested  as  Commander-in-chief  of  the  Army  and 
Na\'y  of  the  United  Stales,  in  time  of  actual  armed  rebellion  against  the 
authority  and  government  of  the  United  States,  and  as  a  fit  and  necessary  war 


Ettij  ,  1' 

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EMANCIPATION  PROCLAMATION. 


measure  for  suppressing  said  rebellion,  do,  on  this  first  day  of  January,  in  the 
year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  sixty-three,  and  in  accord- 
ance with  my  purpose  so  to  do,  publicly  proclaim  for  the  full  period  of  one 
hundred  days  from  the  day  the  first  above-mentioned,  order  and  designate,  as 
the  States  and  parts  of  States  wherein  the  people  thereof  respectively  are  this 
day  in  rebellion  against  the  United  States,  the  following,  to  wit: 

Arkansas,  Tkxas,  Louisiana  (except  the  parishes  of  St.  Bernard, 
Plaquemines,  Jefferson,  St  John,  St.  Charles,  St.  James,  Ascension,  Assump- 
tion, Terre  Bonne,  Lafourche,  St.  Mary,  St.  Martin,  and  Orleans,  including 
the  city  of  New  Orleans),  MISSISSIPPI,  ALABAMA,  FLORIDA,  GEORGIA,  SoUTll 
Carolina,  North  Carolina,  and  Virginia  (except  the  forty-eight  coun- 
ties designated  as  West  Virginia,  and  also  the  counties  of  Berkley,  Accomac, 
Northampton,  Elizabeth  City,  York,  Princess  Ann,  and  Norfolk,  including 
the  cities  of  Norfolk  and  Portsmouth),  and  which  excepted  parts  are,  for  the 
present,  left  precisely  as  if  this  Proclamation  were  not  issued. 

And  by  virtue  of  the  power  and  for  the  purpose  aforesaid,  I  do  order  and 
•declare  that  all  persons  held  as  slaves  within  said  designated  States  and  parts 
of  States  are,  and  henceforward  shall  be  free ;  and  that  the  executive  govern- 
ment of  the  United  States,  including  the  military  and  naval  authorities  there- 
of, w^'!  recognize  and  maintain  the  freedom  of  said  persons. 

And  I  hereby  enjoin  upon  the  peopli;  so  declared  to  be  free,  to  abstain 
from  all  violence,  unless  in  necessary  self-defense,  and  I  recommend  to  them 
that  in  all  cases,  when  allowed,  they  labor  faithfully  for  reasonable  wages. 

And  I  further  declare  and  make  known  that  such  persons  of  suitable  con- 
dition will  be  received  into  the  armed  service  of  the  United  States  to  garrison 
forts,  positions,  stations,  and  other  places,  and  to  man  vessels  of  all  sorts  in 
said  service. 

And  upon  this  act,  sincerely  believed  to  be  an  act  of  justice,  warranted 
by  the  Constitution,  upon  military  necessity,  I  invoke  the  considerate  judg- 
ment of  mankind  and  the  gracious  favor  of  Almighty  God. 


In  testimony  whereof,  I  have  hereunto  set  my  name,  and  caused  the  seal 
of  the  United  States  to  be  affixed. 


1     >'  < 


Done  at  the  City  of  Washington,  this  first  day  of  January ,  in  the 

[L.  S.]  year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  sixty-three, 

and  of  the  Independence  of  the  United  States  the  eighty-seventh. 

Abraham  Lincoln. 
By  the  President  : 

William  H.  Seward, 

Secretary  of  State, 


W,', 


anuary,  In  the 
ind  in  accord- 
period  of  one 
I  designate,  as 
lively  are  this 

St.  Bernard, 
sion,  Assump- 
ans,  including 
5RGIA,  South 
y-eight  coun- 
ley,  Accomac, 
oik,  including 
rts  are,  for  the 

[  do  order  and 
ates  and  parts 
cutive  govern- 
:horities  there- 

ree,  to  abstain 
nend  to  them 
ble  wages, 
f  suitable  con- 
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of  all  sorts  in 

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isiderate  judg- 


lused  the  seal 


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<:ighty -seventh. 

Lincoln. 


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BEYOND    THE    STATES. 


THE  DOMINIOxX  OF  CANADA. 

I  lor  Provinces  and  Principal  Cities. 

|HR  ^rcat  confeclcratidn  oi  Hritish  American  provinces  occupied  in 
1889  the  wiiole  of  the  enormous  territory  of  tlie  North  American 
continent  lying  between  the  Arctic  Ocean  on  tlie  north,  the  Athm- 
lic  on  the  east,  the  United  States  on  the  south,  and  the  Pacific  on  tlie  west, 
excepting  Alaska,  Greenland,  and  Newfoundland.  It  is  almost  eijual  to  the 
whole  of  Europe  in  extent,  having  a  length  of  120  and  a  breatltii  of  yo  of 
longituile.  Its  area  has  been  variously  estimated  at  from  3,515.324  to  3,5<Sc,- 
310  scpiare  miles,  but  as  about  3,000,000  square  miles  are  practically  uninhab- 
ited and  very  little  known,  the  area  can  only  be  approximated.  It  is  tln'  most 
i.nportant  Hritish  possession  on  the  American  continent,  and  according  to  the 
census  of  iiSSi,  had  an  aggregate  population  of  4,350,933,  a  gain  of  680,858  in 
ten  years.  The  Dominion  is  composed  of  the  former  provinces  of  Ontario,  pre- 
viously known  as  Canada  West,  Quebec,  formerly  Canada  East,  Nova  Scotia, 
New  Brunswick,  Manitoba,  Prince  Edward  Island,  Hritish  Columbia,  and  tiie 
Northwest  Territories.  Newfoundland,  though  not  at  present  ( 1889)  a  political 
part  of  the  Dominion,  is  naturally  and  intimately  associated  with  it.  It  has 
its  own  provincial  government,  wholly  distinct  from  that  of  the  Dominion. 

The  government  and  constitution  of  the  Dominion  are  modeled  after 
those  of  Great  Hritain  and  the  United  States.  The  supreme  authority  is 
vested  in  the  sovereign  of  Great  Britain,  who  is  officially  represented  by  a 
viceroy,  styled  the  (iovernorgeneral.  He  is  aidei.1  in  the  administration  of 
iiis  great  trust  by  a  [)rivy  council,  composed  similarly  to  that  of  the  home 
government.  The  executive  authority  descends  from  the  sovereign  through 
the  Governor-general  to  a  Lieutenant-governor  for  each  province,  who  has 
the  aid  of  an  executive  council,  a  legislative  council,  and  a  legislative  assem- 
bly chosen  by  popular  vote.     The  supreme  legislative  authority  is  vested  in 


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THE    DOMINION    OF   CANADA: 


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a  parliament,  composed  of  a  senate  and  house  of  commons,  corresponding 
with  the  English  house  of  lords  and  house  of  commons,  excepting  that  the 
senate  is  more  democratic,  and  that  membership  therein  is  not  a  prerogative 
of  a  titled  class  of  citizens,  nor  a  hereditary  possession.  The  senate  is  com- 
posed of  seventy-seven  members,  who  are  appointed  for  life  by  the  Governor- 
general,  and  the  House  of  Commons  (1889)  of  206  members  who  are  elected 
by  popular  vote.  The  latter  body,  like  the  United  States  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives will  increase  in  membership  with  the  growth  of  population.  In 
the  provinces  the  forms  of  government  are  independent  of  the  parliament, 
save  that  their  actions  must  conform  to  the  supreme  laws,  just  as  the  acts 
of  the  State  governments  and  legislatures  in  the  American  Union  must  har- 
monize with  the  federal  constitution,  the  decisions  of  the  United  States  Su- 
preme Court,  and  the  legislation  of  Congress.  The  provinces  are  subdivided 
into  districts  and  counties,  each  with  its  own  subordinate  form  of  administra- 
tion. Every  male  British  subject,  21  years  of  age,  and  possessing  a  small 
property  qualification,  has  the  right  of  suffrage. 

There  is  no  state  religion  in  the  Dominion,  nor  is  any  interference  with 
the  forms  of  worship  which  its  citizens  wish  to  observe  permitted.  The 
census  of  1 88 1  reported  the  following  denominational  adherents:  Roman 
Catholics,  1,791,982;  Methodists  of  all  forms,  742,981  ;  Presbyterians  of  all 
forms,  686,165 ;  Anglicans,  574,818;  Baptists  all  forms,  296,525 ;  Lutherans, 
46,350:  Congregational  churches,  26,900;  Disciples  of  Christ,  20,193  ;  Brethren, 
all  forms,  8,831;  Adventists,  all  forms,  7,211;  Friends,  6,553;  Universalists. 
4,517:  acknowledged  pagans,  4,478 ;  Reformed  Episcopal,  2,596;  Jews,  2,393; 
Unitarians,  2,126;  and  "no  croed"  and  "creed  not  given,"  136,323;  total. 
4,350,933.  The  Roman  Catholics  were  the  most  numerous  in  the  province  of 
Quebec,  and  also  constituted  a  plurality  in  that  of  New  Brunswick;  the 
Methodists  were  the  most  numerous  in  Ontario,  and  the  Presbyterians  in 
Nova  Scotia. 

From  the  establishment  of  the  Dominion  in  1867  till  1887,  the  government 
expended  the  following  sums  on  public  works:  railroads,  $97,056,423;  canals, 
$29,876,800;  lighthouses  and  navigation,  $8,284,580;  acquisition  and  govern- 
ment of  the  Northwest  Territories,  $5,356,035;  government  buildings  and 
miscellaneous  works,  $13,680,829;  total,  $154,254,667.  The  increase  in  the 
public  debt  has  been  as  follows:  1868,  $96,896,666;  1872,  $122,400,179;  1876, 
$161,204,687;  1880,  $199,125,323;  1886,  gross,  .$273,164,341,  net,  $223,159,107; 
1888,  gross,  $284,513,841,  net,  $234,513,358.     The  ordinary  revenue  in    188^) 


HER   PROVINCES   AND   PRINCIPAL   CITIES. 


575 


corresponding 
:pting  that  the 
t  a  prerogative 
senate  is  com- 
T  the  Governor- 
vho  are  elected 
ouse  of  Repre- 
aopulation.     In 
the  parliament, 
ust  as  the  acts 
nion  must  har- 
ited  States  Su- 
,  are  subdivided 
n  of  administra- 
isessing  a  small 

iterference  with 
permitted.  The 
lerents :  Roman 
ibyterians  of  all 

25;    Lutherans. 
0,193;  Brethren, 
Universalists, 

96;  Jews,  2,393; 

136,323;   tot''^^' 
the  province  of 

Brunswick;    the 

Presbyterians  in 

the  government 
,056,423;  canals, 
tion  and  govern- 
it  buildings  and 
:  increase  in  the 

2,400,179;  1876. 
let,  §223,159,107; 

revenue  in   iSH^) 


amounted  to  $33,177,040,  and  the  expenditures  to  $39,011,612.  The  move- 
ment  of  trade  was — Exports:  1868,  $57,567,888;  1872,  $82,639,663;  1876, 
$80,966,435;  1880, $87,91 1,454;  1886, $85,251,314.  Imports:  1868,  $73,457,644; 
1872,  $111,430,527;  1876,  ,$93,210,346,  1880,  .$86,489,747;  1886,  $104,424,561. 
During  this  period  the  highest  exports  were  in   1873,  $89,789,922,  the  lowest, 

1868,  $57,567,88<S;   and  the  highest  imports,  1874,  $128,213,582,  the  lowest 

1869,  $70,415,165.  The  distribution  of  this  trade  among  the  chief  countries 
and  its  relation  to  the  United  States  are  shown  in  the  following  table  of  the 
transactions  during  the  fiscal  year  ending  June  30,  1886: 


CofNTRIKS. 


ImI'DRIS. 


K.\1>(.K1S. 


United  States 

Great  Britain 

Germany         .         .         .         . 

PVance    .         .         .         .         . 

British  West  Indies 

Other  West  Indies 

Other  British   Possessions 

Japan       

South  America 

China       .         .         .         .         . 

Newfoundland  and  Labrador. 


$50,475,418 

40,589,500 

2, 1 39.426 

1,866,392 

995,422 

1,511,412 

583.839 

1.485,932 

1,052,496 

903.439 

388,171 


$36,578,769 

41,542,629 

253.298 

534.363 

1,256.549 

865,021 

253,290 

1,708 

1,012,806 

61,415 

1,752,048 


The  imports  of  iron  and  steel  and  manufactures  thereof  into  the  Dominion 
for  home  consumption  amounted  in  value  to  ( 1884)  $14,790,727;  (1885)  $11, - 
415,713;  and  (1886)  $11,053,365.  In  the  fiscal  years  1887-8  the  value  of  the 
fishery  catch  fell  considerably  below  the  figures  of  the  preceding  year.  Of 
the  total  value  of  the  catch,  only  I'j  per  cent,  was  exported,  63  per  cent, 
being  retained  for  home  consumption ;  and  of  the  total  exports  of  pickled 
mackerel — which  fell  off  61  per  cent. — the  United  States  took  87  per  cent., 
but  only  15^  per  cent,  of  the  total  shipments  of  dry-salted  cod.  The  total 
value  of  fish  of  all  kinds  exported  to  the  United  States  was  $2,717,000,  or  40 
per  cent,  of  total  export. 

Canada  was  discovered  by  John  and  Sebastian  Cabot  in  1497,  but  the 
French  were  the  first  to  profit  by  the  discovery.  Records  are  extant  that 
show  that  Frenchmen  v.ere  engaged  in  cod-fishing  off  Newfoundland  very 
early  in  the  sixteenth  century:  a  Frenchman,  Denys  by  name,  is  said  to  have 
made  a  map  of  a  portion  of  the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence  about  1506;  and  in 
1 508  a  French  merchant  captain  visited  the  shores  of  the  gulf,  and,  fearing 
lest  his  story  might  be  discredited  on  his  return,  carried  with  him  living  evi- 


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THE    DOMINION   OF   CANADA: 


dcnce  in  the  form  of  several  natives.  F"urtherinore,  the  King  of  France  sent 
Verazani,  a  Florentine  navigator,  with  four  ships,  to  take  possession  of  the 
country  and  prosecute  further  discoveries  in  1524.  He  made  three  voyages, 
and  on  the  last  perished  with  all  his  crew.  Again,  in  April,  1534,  the  king 
commissioned  Jacques  Cartier  to  carry  out  his  instructions  to  Verazani,  antl 
gave  him  two  ships  and  il2  men.  He  came  in  sight  of  Newfoundland  in 
May,  but,  being  deterred  from  landing  by  the  enormous  quantity  of  snow, 
sailed  to  the  51st  degree  of  latitude  in  the  vain  hope  of  realizing  the  dream 
of  the  navigators — a  direct  passage  to  China — and  then  returned  home.  In 
tlic  following  year  with  three  ships  he  was  more  successful.  He  entered  thi- 
Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence  on  St.  Lawrence's  day  (whence  the  name  of  the  gulf 
and  river\  took  possession  of  the  country  in  the  name  of  the  King  of  France, 
explored  the  river  a  distance  of  300  leagues,  built  a  fort,  and  wintered  there. 

In  the  reign  of  Henry  VII.  of  England,  Bartholomew  Columbus  presented 
to  the  king  some  new  maps  of  the  world  and  charts  for  navigation,  which 
up  to  that  time  had  not  been  employed.  He  also  laid  before  the  king  tlic 
views  of  his  brother,  Christopher  Columbus,  respecting  the  existence  of  a 
vast  continent  across  the  Atlantic,  and  a  proposition  to  enter  the  royal  service 
and  prosecute  further  discoveries  of  the  comparatively  unknown  "countr}-. 
No  substantial  effort  could  have  been  made  by  the  king  to  promote  the  en 
terprise,  otherwise  Columbus  would  never  have  struggled  so  long  at  the  court 
of  Spain  for  the  royal  command.  It  was,  therefore,  due  either  to  the  indiffer- 
ence or  preoccupation  of  the  King  of  England  that  France  took  possession 
of  an  extreme  northern  portion  of  the  American  continent,  and  Spain  ac- 
quired domination  over  the  greater  and  richer  portion  with  its  numerous 
islands.  Had  he  supported  the  enterprising  Cabots  and  acceded  to  the 
modest  proposal  of  Columbus,  he  would  have  achieved  the  glory  of  adding 
an  entire  continent  to  his  realm. 

Though  Cartier  made  his  discovery  and  took  possession  of  it  in  1535,  it 
was  not  till  1608  that  a  permanent  settlement  was  made  on  the  river  he  dedi 
Gated  to  St.  Lawrence,  though  a  few  scattering  and  short-lived  .settlements 
were  made  near  St.  Croix  River  under  grants  of  Henry  IV.  of  France  in  1604. 
This  first  settlement  was  made  by  a  body  of  F'renchmen  under  Champlain, 
on  the  spot  now  occupied  by  the  city  of  Quebec.  The  French  made  a  treaty 
of  peace  with  the  Indians,  and  by  the  time  tiie  settlement  was  getting  into  a 
prosperous  condition,  war  broke  out  between  England  and  France,  and  an 
English  expedition  was  sent  against  Quebec.     The  city  surrendered  to  the 


m 


HER    PROVINCES   AND    PRINCIPAL   CITIES. 


577 


English  in  1629,  after  peace  had  been  signed  by  the  belligerents,  though  the 
fact  was  not  known  in  Canada ;  and  consequently  the  territory  had  to  be  re- 
turned to  France.  Canada  continued  to  be  a  possession  of  France  till  1759, 
when  Quebec  was  taken  by  General  Wolfe,  and  the  province  was  ceded  in 
full  sovereignty  to  Great  Britain  by  the  Treaty  of  Paris  in  1763.  Local 
affairs  were  then  regulated  by  the  ordinances  of  the  governor  alone  till  1774, 
when  under  an  act  of  parliament  a  legislative  council  of  twenty-three  mem- 
bers was  appointed  by  the  king.  This  form  of  government  was  changed  in 
1 79 1,  and  the  country  was  divided  into  an  upper  and  a  lower  province,  each 
of  which  was  provided  with  a  governor,  an  executive  council  appointed  by 
the  crown,  similar  to  the  privy  council  of  England,  a  legislative  council,  the 
members  of  which  were  appointed  for  life  by  the  king,  and  a  representative 
council  elected  for  four  years. 

A  long  course  of  violent  dissensions  between  the  provincial  houses  of 
assembly  and  the  executive  governments  reached  their  climax  in  1837,  when 
insurrections  occurred  in  both  provinces.  In  1838  the  Earl  of  Durham  was 
appointed  governor-general  and  high  commissioner  for  the  adjustment  of  in- 
ternal difficulties,  and  upon  his  report  the  English  parliament  passed  an  act 
for  the  reunion  of  the  provinces  in  1840,  which  was  consummated  1841.  In 
1844  the  seat  of  government  was  transferred  from  Kingston  to  Toronto;  in 
1858  Ottawa  was  made  the  capital;  in  1865  the  Canadian  parliament  con- 
sented to  a  federal  union  ;  and  in  1867  the  Dominion  of  Canada  was  estab- 
lished by  the  union  of  Upper  and  Lo»er  Canada,  or  Canada  East  and  Canada 
West,  with  the  proviiices  of  New  Brunswick  and  Nova  Scotia.  The  vast 
Northwest  Territories  were  purchased  by  the  Dominion  government  from 
the  Hudson  Bay  Company  and  incorporated  in  the  Union  1870;  the  province 
of  Manitoba,  formerly  known  as  Assiniboia  and  as  the  Red  River  Settlement, 
was  admitted  the  same  year;  British  Columbia,  established  as  a  province  in 
1858,  joined  the  confederation  in  1871;  and  Prince  Edward  Island  united 
with  it  in  1873. 


CITY  OF  OTTAWA. 

TTAWA  is  the  capital  of  the  Dominion  of  Canada.     It  is  situated 
in  the  Province  of  Ontario,  88  miles  above  the  junction  of  the 
Ottawa  River  with  the  St.  Lawrence,  450  miles  from   New  York, 
126  miles  from   Montreal,  and  95  miles  from  the  city  of  Kingston.     It  was 


1  ; 


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578 


THE    DOMINION    OF   CANADA. 


incorporated  as  a  city  in  1854.  Prior  to  this  it  was  called  Hytovvn,  in  hono. 
of  Colonel  By,  who  constructed  the  Rideau  Canal  in  1827.  The  scenery  in 
the  vicinity  is  very  beautiful,  and  not  surpassed  by  any  in  Canada.  In  tin 
neighborhood    are   three   magnificent    cataracts.     The  first  of   these   is  tlu: 


CHAnUKKK   KAI.I.S. 


Chaudiere  Falls,  on  the  Ottawa  River,  at  the  west  end  of  the  city.  The  falls 
at  this  point  are  spanned  by  a  suspension  bridge,  connecting  Upper  and 
Lower  Canada.  Its  great  industry  is  lumber,  its  immense  water-power  being 
made  use  of  in  numerous  saw-mills.     The  imports  are  about  $2,500,000.  and 

the  exports  nearly  $5,000,000,  annually. 
In  1858  Ottawa  was  selected  by  Queen 
Victoria  as  the  capital  of  Canatla.  The 
erection  of  magnificent  (lovernmcnt 
buildings  was  commenced  in  1S60,  the 
I'rince  of  Wales  la\'ing  the  foundation. 
The  Parliament  buildings  are  probably 
as  fine  as  any  in  .\merica.  The  [)rinci- 
pal  railroatls  are  the  Canada  Central 
lines  and  the  St.  Lawrence  &  Ottawa. 
The  city  is  comiected  bj- steamer  on  the 
Ottawa  River  with  Montreal;  the  Rideau 
I'ARi.iAMKNT  HI  ii.DiNcs,  OTTAWA.  Canal  connects  it  with  Lake  Ontario  at 

Kingston.     While  the  city  derives  its  chief  importance  from  being  the  seat  of 
the  government,  the  natural  beauty  of  its  surroundings  and  its  fine  architect 
ural  structures  attract  the  attention  of  the  tourist.     Population,  1889,  48.730. 


PROVINCE   OF   ONTARIO. 

HE  most  populous  province  of  the  Dominion  is  situated  between 
latitude  41°  30'  and  50°  30'  north,  and  longitude  74°  25'  and  90° 
30'  west.  It  formed  a  part  of  the  province  of  Quebec  up  to  1 791, 
thence  to  1840  was  known  as  Upper  Canada,  and  then  re-united  with  Quebec. 
The  census  of  1881  gave  it  an  area  of  101,733  square  miles,  and  a  population 
of  1,923,228,  of  whom  976,- 
461  were  males  and  946,- 
767  females.  Of  the  face 
of  the  country  19,259,909 
acres  were  occupied,  11,- 
294,109  improved,  8,370,- 
266  under  crops,  2,619,038 
in  pasture,  and  304,805  in 
orchards  and  gardens. 

The  surface  of  the 
country  is  generally  undu- 
lating, with  several  ridges 
or  hills  over  2,000  feet 
high  in  the  Lake  Superior 
region.  In  the  south  and 
west  are  the  St.  Lawrence 
River  and  Lakes  Ontario, 
Erie,  St.  Clair,  Huron,  and 
a  part  of  Superior,  with 
many  connecting  rivers, 
affording  a  vast  extent  of  creat  south  falls,  muskoka  river,  in  the  muskoka  re- 
lake   coast    and  an  abun-  •"■■"'^'  '^^"^^'^  ^'  '"'^  "Hi.mi.ANns  ok  Ontario." 

dant  ocean  outlet.  The  principal  rivers  are  the  Ottawa,  Madawaska,  Thames, 
and  Trent,  all  of  which  are  navigable  by  large  boats  for  a  considerable  dis- 
tance. Its  water-front  of  3,000  miles  is  provided  with  numerous  bays  and 
harbors,  notably  those  of  the  Georgian  in  the  west.  Pigeon  on  Lake  Erie, 
and  Burlington  and  Quinta  on  Lake  Ontario.  The  mineral  wealth  is  varied 
in  character  and  considerable  in  quantity,  though  as  yet  comparatively  un- 


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580 


THE    DOMINION    OF   CANADA 


developed.  Iron  is  found  in  larj^e  quantities,  and  lead,  copper,  antimou) , 
arsenic,  gypsum,  marble,  building-stones,  gold,  and  salt  are  known  to  exist 
in  numerous  localities,  while  silver  is  abundant  along  the  shores  of  Laki. 
Siiperior.  There  are  numerous  large  fores,  s  of  valuable  timber,  particularl) 
red  and  white  pine.  White  fish,  trout,  and  herring  are  plentiful;  fur  animals 
are  still  trapped  by  hunters,  but  strictly  wild  animals  have  almost  entirely 
disappeared.     Hut  little  manufacturing  is  carried  on  in  the  province. 

The  chief  industry  of 
the  population  is  agricult 
ure,  for  which  the  soil 
and  cKmate  are  well  adap 
ted.  The  official  returns 
of  1 88 1  embraced  the  fol 
lowing  figures  in  this  line: 
wheat,  27,406, 091  bushels; 
barley,  14,279,8 ;r;  oats, 
40,209,929;  rye,  1,598,871 ; 
peas  and  beans,  9,434,872 : 
corn,  8,096,782;  potatoes, 
18,994,559;  turnips,  33.- 
856,721;  hay,  2,038,659 
tons;  tobacco,  160,251 
pounds;  and  hops,  61  5,967 
pounds.  Other  farm  prod 
ucts  were :  butter,  54,862,- 
365  pounds;  cheese,  1,- 
701,721;  wool,  6,013,216; 
maple  sugar,  4,169,706; 
honey,  1,197,628;  and  flax 
and  hemp,  1,073,197,  The  farm  animals  numbered  590,298  horses,  23,263 
oxen,  1,678,904  milch  cows  and  other  cattle,  1,359,178  sheep,  and  700,922 
swine.  The  extent  and  value  of  the  timber  supply  are  shown  by  the  fol- 
lowing productions  in  the  above  census  year:  white  pine,  12,262,570  cubic 
feet;  red.  1,848,927;  oak,  8,448,263;  tamarack,  1,515,360;  elm,  2,925,382; 
walnut,  741,431 ;  all  other  timber,  27,190,629;  number  of  pine  logs,  14,945,670: 
other  logs,  7,621,610,  The  share  of  the  province  in  the  fishery  catch  of  tlie 
Dominion  was  represented  by  five  steam  vessels  with  fourteen  men,  and   1,129 


SnflH    KAI.I.S,    MISKOKA    KIVKK,    IN   TIIK   MlSKuKA    KKCluN, 
KNOWN   AS    "THE   lIKilH.ANDS   OF   ONIARIO." 


HER   PROVINCES   AND   PRINCIPAL   CITIES. 


581 


boats  with  2,101  men,  and  928,008  fathoms  of  net,  engaged  in  681  fisheries. 
The  product  was  15,605  barrels  of  herring,  38,301  (<f  white  fish,  55,497  of 
trout,  and  18,817  o^  other  fish,  and  1,629  gallons  of  fish  oil.  The  orchard 
])r()(iucts  were  11,400,517  bushels  of  apples,  3,697,555  pounds  of  grapes,  and 
644,707  bushels  of  other  fruits. 

The  executive  authority,  like  that  of  all  the  provinces,  is  vested  in  a  Lieu- 
tenant-Governor; the  legislative  in  an  assembly  composed  of  one  member 
from  each  of  the  eighty 
two  districts  into  which  the 
province  is  subdivided, 
fleeted  for  four  j'cars;  and 
the  judicial  in  the  courts  of 
Queen's  bench,  common 
pleas,  and  appeal,  each  with 
.1  chief  justice  and  three 
judges,  beside  whom  there 
are  one  chancellor  and  two 
\  ice-chancellors.  The  prin- 
cipal cit'  ,s  are  Ottawa,  the 
capital  of  the  Dominion; 
Toronto,  the  capital  of  the 
jirovince ;  Hamilton,  Lon- 
don, and  Kingston.  The 
province  has  an  e.xcellent 
s  \-  s  t  e  m  of  fre-  j  u  b  1  i  c 
schools,  beside  nnny  Ro- 
man Catholic  educational 
institutions.  Ail  ciuldren  high  falls  in  the  lake  muskoka  uecihn,  known  as  the 
between  the  ag^-s  of  seve  "hichlands  of  ontari.)." 

and  twelve  years  of  iige  are  required  to  attend  some  school  during  a  specified 
portion  of  each  3ear.  The  public  schools  are  under  the  control  of  a  min- 
ister of  education,  w  ho  is  aided  by  a  chief  superintendent.  The  school  popu- 
lation in  1881  was  405,857,  for  whom  there  were  410  high  schools  and  5,313 
elementary  schools.  There  were  also  seventeen  colleges  and  universities  and 
forty-four  boarding  schools.  I.n  the  same  year  there  were  5,075  churches,  of 
which  number  the  Methodist.5  had  2,3/5,  the  Presbyterians  852,  the  Church 
of  England  680.  the  Baptists  389,  and  the  Roman  C;itlu>lics  3''7.     The  chari- 


K     1    VI . 


V  ■ !  •!  ■• 


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111 


■  M 


58.3 


THK    DOMINION    OK   CANADA; 


table  institutions  included  twenty-one  hospitals  and  twenty-two  orphana"i 
The  province  had  5,223  miles  of  railroad  in  operation. 


r  '■;! 


CITY  OF  TORONTO. 

[ORONTO,  a  port  of  entry  and  the  capital  city  of  the  Province  of 
Ontario,  is  situated  on  the  north  shore  of  Lake  Ontario,  165  niili  s 
from  Kingston,  and  320  miles  southwest  of  Montreal.  It  is  con- 
nected with  Canada  and  the  United  States  by  the  Grand  Trunk  Railway  and 
numerous  other  lines.     Its  industries  are  extensive,  and  consist  of  iron  foiin 

dries,  rolling-mills,  car- 
shops,  breweries,  distill- 
eries, machine-shops,  car- 
riage factories,  soap 
works,  tanneries,  bout 
and  shoe  factories,  flour- 
mills,  and  cabinet-waro 
factories.  It  is  over  two 
miles  in  length  from  east 
to  west,  is  bounded  on 
the  south  by  the  Hay  of 
Toronto,  a  spacious  iiiKt 
of  Lake  Ontario,  and  is 
one  and  a  half  miles  broad 
from  south  to  north.  The 
situation  of  the  town  is 
low  and  flat.  The  most 
elevated  quarter — the 
Queen's  Park  in  the  west, 
containing  the  University, 
Observatory,  and  IkuuI- 
some  private  residences- 
is  only  from  100  to  200  feet  above  the  level  of  the  lake.  The  harbor  or 
bay  is  a  beautiful  sheet  of  water,  about  five  miles  long  and  one  mile  in 
width.  It  is  separated  from  the  lake  by  a  long,  narrow  strip  of  land,  except 
at  its  entrance.      It  is  capable  of  accommodating  the  largest  vessels  that 


THE   BRIIIAI,  VEIL    FALLS   IN   THE    LAKE    MUSKOKA    RECION, 
KNOWN   AS   THE    "HIGHLANDS  OK   ONTAKIO." 


IIRR    PROVINCES   AND   I'KINCirAL   CITIKS. 


583 


navigate  the  lakes  and  is  dcfcMulcd  at  the  entrance  by  a  fort,  mounted  with 
tlie  most  efficient  modern  ordnance. 

Toronto  has  much  the  appearance  of  an  English  town,  and  is  distinguislied 
for  the  number  and  beauty  of  its  churches,  many  of  which  are  surmounted 
by  Iiaiulsome  spires.  The  principal  are  St.  James'  Cathedral  (Anglican),  a 
noble  edifice  in  early  English,  erected  in  1852;  St.  Michael's  Cathedral 
(Roman  Catholic);  Knox's  Church  and  St.  Andrew's  (Presbyterian);  the 
Metropolitan  (Methodist);  and  the  Unitarian  Chapel.  Toronto  is  the  foun- 
tain-head of  the  Canada  school  system,  and  its  educational  institutions  are 
numerous  and  well-appointed.     The  University,  charmingly  situated  in  the 


TORONTO    I'NIVFRSITY. 

wcll-wooded  Queen's  Park,  was  inaugurated  in  1843.  Trinity  College  and 
the  Upper  Canada  College  have  numerous  students.  Knox's  College,  re- 
cently built,  is  the  Presbyterian  theological  hall.  The  University  Park,  with 
its  beautiful  monument  to  the  volunteers  who  fell  at  Ridgeway,  .md  the 
Horticultural  Gardens,  are  frequented  by  all  classes  of  the  community. 
There  are  also  the  Normal  and  Model  schools,  in  the  first  of  which  teachers 
exclusively  are  trained.  Attached  to  the  University  is  the  Observatory. 
There  are  many  benevolent  institutions  and  handsome  official  buildings.  It 
is  the  scat  of  the  Supreme  Courts  of  the  Province,  and  contains  the  Legisla- 
tive buildings,  the  Government  house,  the  Custom-house,  and  the  Post-ofifice. 
There  are  two  large  theatres  in  Toronto.     During  open  navigation  magnifi- 


h 


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584 


THE    DOMINION    OK   CANADA. 


cent  steamers  \Ay  in  all  ilirecti'iiiH  on   tin-  lake.     The  e.xports  are  nianufan 
iireil  lumber,  flour,  wheat,  and  other  ^'rain. 

The  name  Toronto  is  supposed  to  be  of  Indian  orij^in.  The  town  wm 
founded  in  1 794  by  Governor  Simcoe.  It  was  incorporated  in  1S34.  w,, 
Inirncd  by  the  .\niericans  in  1S13,  and  suffered  severely  in  the  insurrectim 
of  iS^,7,  on  which  occasion  it  was  the  headcpiarters  of  the  rebellion,  ;is  ais. 
from  fire  in  1849.      l't)pulation  in  1870,  56,000;    1886,  80,000;    l889,.ir)r),809. 


CITY  OF   HAMILTON. 


roads  radiate  from  this  point;  while  it  has  by  the  j^reat  lakes  and  rivers  watc  1 
communication  from  Chica|;o,  Duluth,  and  Fort  William  at  the  West  to  thi 
Atlantic.  It  is  situated  in  the  midst  of  the  finest  agricultural  district.  In 
1840  the  population  was  3,000:  si.\  jears  later  the  population  was  ncail\ 
7,000,  and  a  city  charter  was  obtained.  This  rapid  increase  was  due  to  tin 
railroads  and  the  jjrain  district  in  which  it  is  situated.  Its  manufacturing; 
establishments  are  extensive,  and  comprise  steam-engine  and  locomotixi 
rks,   lar^e    iron    works,  car  works,   foundries,  and    clothings  and    sewiiij;. 


wo 


mac  nine 


fact 


ones. 


The  last   census  of  Canada,  taken   in    1881,  showed  that 


the  capital  invested   was  nearly   one   thirty-fourth   of  the  whole  capital  in- 
vested in  manufacturing  industries  throughout  the  Dominion. 

The  city  has  ^t,  churches,  seven  banks,  and  a  large  insurance  company  a 
Young  Men's  Christian  Association,  antl  a  fine  public-school  system,  itii 
5.000  pupils  and  loo  teachers;  the  Collegiate  Institute  and  Training  College 
has  600  students,  with  15  masters  and  teachers.  There  are  also  five  separate 
Catholic  schools  in  Hamilton,  and  a  Methodist  College  for  you'ig  women; 
numerous  charitable  institutions,  the  Hamilton  Association  for  investigating 
natural  history,  botany,  etc.,  and  private  institutions  for  commercial  anil 
business  training.     Population  in  1889,  43,250. 


arc  nianufan 


CITY   OF   KINGSTON. 

IXdSTON  is  a  city  in  tlic  I'rovincc  of  Ontario.  It  is  situated  mi 
the  northeast  sliore  of  Lake  Ontario,  wliere  tlie  waters  of  the 
Canadian  hikes  issue  into  the  St.  Lawrence,  and  is  distant  from 
Montreal  19S  miles,  from  Toronto  1^)5  miles,  and  from  New  York  274  miles. 
It  was  the  site  of  a  French  fort  from  1673  till  175s;  be^fan  to  be  settled  \>y 
tiie  British  about  17S3;  was  laid  out  in  1793;  and  was  incorporated  as  a  tov,  11 
in  183S,  anil  as  a  city  in  1846.     On  the  union  of  the  two  Canadas,  in    1840, 


KINllSION    KKi)M    Idkr    WII.I.IAM    IlKNKY. 

the  scat  of  {government  was  established  at  Kinj^ston,  but  was  removed  again 
in  1845.  The  harbor  of  Kingston  affords  a  most  imposing  and  effective  pict- 
ure. In  the  midst  of  the  scene  a  storm-washed  martello  tower  rises  from 
the  water,  and  be\-ond  it  is  a  granite  battlement,  upon  the  mainland  behind 
which  rises  the  shapely  form  of  the  City  Ifall.  The  public  buildings  of 
Kingston  are  all  excellent  examples  of  architecture.  Across  the  channel  is 
Wolfe  Island,  which  is  connected  with  the  city  by  a  ferry.  Upon  a  prominer.t 
hill  to  the  right  is  the  large  defensive  work  known  as  Fort  William  Henr\-, 
and  near  it  the  Military  college,  which  is  the  West  Point  of  Canada.  There 
is  a  decided  military  air  to  Kingston,  due  to  this  fact.     The  Thousand  Islands 


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586 


THE   DOMINION   OF   CANADA: 


begin  about  Kingston,  continue  for  some  50  miles  clown  the  river,  and  steam- 
boats run  daily  from  the  city  to  the  popular  summer  resorts  among  them. 

The  ship-building  of  Kingston  is  second  in  Canada  only  to  that  of  Quebec. 
The  Canadian  Engine  &  Machinery  company  manufactures  railway  rolling- 
stock  on  the  most  approved  principles.  Besides  it  there  are  several  large 
foundries  for  the  manufacture  of  engines  and  locomotives,  of  agricultural 
implements,  edge-tools,  axles,  and  nails.  There  are  also  large  tanneries  and 
breweries.  Beside  its  outlets  by  water,  Kingston  communicates  with  all 
parts  of  the  country  by  the  Grand  Trunk  Railway,  which  passes  within  two 
miles  of  the  city,  and  connects  by  a  branch  with  the  wharves;  and  by  the 
Kingston  and  Pembroke  Raihvay,  which  connects  with  the  Canada  Pacific. 
The  shops  and  oiifices  of  the  Kingston  and  Pembroke  Railway  are  in  Kings- 
ton. Next  to  Quebec  and  Halifax,  Kingston  is  the  most  important  military 
position  in  British  America.  Queen's  University  and  College  at  Kingston  is 
one  of  the  most  popular  and  progressive  of  the  great  educational  institutions 
of  Canada.  It  was  incorporated  by  royal  charter  in  1841,  for  the  education 
of  a  Presbyterian  ministry,  and  has  since  instituted  the  additional  faculties  of 
law  and  medicine.  There  are  also  a  Catholic  institution  called  Regiopolis 
College,  the  County  grammar  school,  and  tlie  common  schools,  besides  sev- 
eral private  academies.  The  provincial  penitentiary  and  the  asylum  for  the 
insane,  and  local  hospitals  and  homes  for  the  poor  are  situated  in  the  cit}-. 
In  1862  Kingston  became  the  seat  of  the  new  English  bishopric  of  Ontario. 
]\Iany  beautiful  homes  adorn  the  suburban  avenues.  Pop'ilation  in  187I; 
12,407;   1886,20,000;   1889  23,175. 


CITY  OF    LONDON. 


ONDON  is  the  chief  cit)  of  the  county  of  Middlesex,  Ontario.  It 
is  situa<-ed  at  the  junction  of  the  two  branches  of  the  Thames 
River,  about  1 14  miles  west-southwest  from  Toronto,  with  which 
it  is  connected  by  the  Great  Western  Railway.  The  site  of  the  city  began 
to  be  cleared  and  laid  out  in  825;  in  1852  the  population  was  7,124.  When 
the  city  was  called  London,  the  river,  which  had  formerly  been  known  by  an 
Indian  name,  received  that  which  it  now  bears;  a  Westminster  and  a  Blaci<- 
friars  bridge  were  thrown  over  it;  and  the  names  j.Mven  to  the  principal 
st .cets  and  localities  still  seem  to  indicate  a  desire  to  make  it  a  reproduction, 


er,  and  steani- 
long  them, 
liat  of  Quebec, 
aihvay  rolling- 
:  several  large 
r>f  agricultural 

tanneries  and 
cates  with  all 
ses  within  two 
s ;  and  by  the 
!anada  Pacific. 
Y  are  in  Kings- 
jrtant  military 

at  Kingston  is 
nal  institutions 

the  education 
nal  faculties  of 
led  Regiopolis 
lis,  besides  se\ - 

isylum   for  the 

d  in  the  city. 

ric  of  Ontario, 
vtion  in    187I; 


\ 


X,  Ontario.  It 
f  the  Thames 
to,  with  which 
the  city  began 

7,124,  When 
n  known  by  an 
.•r  and  a  Black- 

the  principal 
I  reproduction. 


hi:r  provinces  and  principal  cities. 


587 


as  far  as  possible,  of  the  capital  of  England.  It  has  an  outlet  by  railway  to 
every  part  of  the  American  continent.  The  centre  of  a  rich  agricultural  dis- 
trict, London  carries  on  a  large  trade  in  the  produce  of  the  country,  while 
there  are  also  many  foundries,  tanneries,  bi    series,  printingofifices,  and,  out- 


LONDON,    ONTARIO. 


side  the  city,  large  petroleum  refineries.  Huron  College,  Hellmuth  College, 
and  Hellmuth  Ladies'  College  are  the  principal  educational  institutions. 
Population  in  1S89,  35,000. 


PROVINCE   OF   OUEBEC. 

U  EBEC,  the  oldest  province  in  the  Dominion,  is  situated  between  lati- 
tude 45°  and  53°  30'  north,  and  longitude  57°  8'  and  79  30'  west, 
and  was  formerly  known  as  Lower  Canada.  The  census  of  1881 
gave  it  an  area  of  210,000  square  miles  and  a  population  of  1,359,027.  Of  the 
total  kind  area.  12,625,877  acres  were  occupied,  6,410,264  improved,  4,147,- 
984  under  crops,  2,207,422  in  pasture,  and  54,858  in  orchards  and  gardens. 

That  part  of  the  province  lying  north  of  the  St.  Lawrence  is  rocky  and 
mountainous,  while  the  southern  part  is  mostly  hilly.  It  has  a  gulf  coast  of 
1. 164  miles,  which  is  indented  with  numerous  small  bays,  and  a  number  of 
islands  lying  in  those  waters  belong  to  it.     The  country  is  dotted  with  many 


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588 


THE    DOMINION   OF   CANADA: 


beautiful  lakes,  and  watered  mainly  by  the  St.  Maurice,  Saguenay,  Gatuinea, 
and  the  Richelieu  rivers.  Like  Ontario,- the  province  possesses  considerable 
undeveloped  mineral  wealth,  which  embraces  large  veins  of  iron  and  copper 
and  smaller  ones  of  gold,  silver,  lead,  platinum,  and  zinc.  The  climate, 
though  subject  to  extreme  variations  of  temperature,  is  generally  healthy. 
It  is  much  colder  in  winter  and  warmer  in  summer  than  in  Ontario,  the  ther- 
mometer at  Montreal  frequently  going  as  low  as  30°  below  zero  in  winter  and 
as  high  as  90°  in  the  shade  in  summer.  The  soil  in  the  valley  of  the  St. 
Lawrence  and  the  eastern  part  of  the  province  is  fertile,  and  there  are  large 
tracts  of  fine  grazing  country;  but  the  greater  part  of  the  surface  is  covered 
with  forests  which  supply  vast  quantities  of  timber  for  the  lumber  and  ship- 
building industries.  The  chief  woods  are  pine,  ash,  beech,  birch,  elm,  and 
hickory.  Some  wild  animals  still  frequent  the  forests  in  spite  of  the  many 
lumber-camps,  and  the  fur-bearing  ones  are  sufificiently  numerous  to  supply 
a  trade  worth  nearly  $200,000  annually.  Manufacturing  is  chiefly  confined 
to  simple  articles  of  domestic  use. 

Outside  the  large  cities  the  population  is  mainly  engaged  in  farming, 
dairying,  fishing,  lumbering,  and  maple-sugar  boiling.  In  1881  the  agricult 
ural  products  were:  wheat,  2,019,004  bushels;  oats,  19,990,205;  barley,  i,- 
751039;  PG3.S  and  beans,  4,1; V, 456;  potatoes,  14,873,287;  turnips,  1,572,476; 
buckwheat,  2,041,670;  corn,  888,169;  tobacco,  2,356,581  pounds;  hops,  208,- 
542:  and  hay,  1,612,104  tons.  The  dairy  products  included  30,630,397  pounds 
of  butter  and  559,278  of  cheese;  there  were  273,852  horses  on  the  farms,  49,- 
237  oxen,  900,096  milch  cows  and  other  cattle,  889,833  sheep,  and  329,199 
swine;  and  the  farmers  raised  2,730,544  pounds  of  wool  and  865,340  of  flax 
and  hemp.  The  fisheries  of  the  province,  more  extensive  than  those  of 
Ontario,  employed  14,744  men,  146  vessels,  and  6,761  boats,  and  yielded  a 
product  of  462,388  quintals  of  cod,  130,354  barrels  of  herring,  10,725  of 
mackerel,  4,360  of  sardines,  517,734  pounds  of  canned  lobster,  101,861  barrels 
of  o'-her  fish,  and  263,374  barrels  of  fish  oil.  The  lumbering  industry  gaw 
returns  of  5,495,183  cubic  feet  of  pine,  59,587  of  oak,  2,707,745  of  tamarack, 
2,784,395  of  birch  and  maple,  and  14,612,669  of  other  timber.  From  the 
total  13,582,407  logs  and  104,248  masts  and  spars  were  cut.  Other  products 
of  note  were  15,687,835  pounds  of  maple-sugar,  559,024  of  honey,  777,557 
bushels  of  apples,  and  158,031  pounds  of  grapes. 

The  executive  authority  is  vested  in  a  Lieutenant-Governor,  who  is  aided 
by  an  executive  council  and  a  premier  and  commissioner  of  public  works,  a 


HER   PROVINCES   AND   PRINCIPAL   CITIES. 


589 


nay,  Gatuinea, 
s  considerable 
)n  and  copper 
The  climate, 
lerally  healthy, 
itario,  the  ther- 
3  in  winter  and 
illey  of  the  St. 
there  are  large 
face  is  covered 
Tiber  and  ship- 
birch,  elm,  and 
te  of  the  many 
erous  to  supply 
:hiefly  confined 

Ted   in  farming, 
81   the  agricult 
205;    barley,    i, 
■nips,  1,572,476; 
ids;   hops,  208.- 
630,397  pounds 
the  farms,  49,- 
ep,  and  329,199 
865,340  of  flax 
than  those  of 
and  yielded  a 
rring,   10,725  of 
101,861  barrels 
industry  gave 
45  of  tamarack, 
aer.     From  the 
Other  products 
honey,  777-557 

sr,  who  is  aided 
public  works,  a 


solicitor-general,  a  commissioner  of  crown  lands,  and  a  provincial  secretary; 
the  legislative  in  a  council  consisting  of  twenty-four  members  appointed  by 
the  Lieutenant-Governor  for  life,  and  an  assembly  composed  of  one  repre- 
sentative from  each  of  the  sixty-five  electoral  districts  chosen  for  four  years; 
and  the  judicial  in  a  court  of  queen's  bench  and  a  superior  court,  each  hav- 
ing a  chief  justice  and  the  former  four  puisne  judges.  The  province  has 
twenty-four  representatives  in  the  Senate  branch  of  the  Dominion  parlia- 
ment. The  principal  cities  are  Quebec,  the  capital  of  the  province  and  the 
great  seaport  of  the  Dominion,  and  Montreal,  the  commercial  metropolis  of 
both  province  and  Dominion,  situated  at  the  junction  of  the  Ottawa  and  St. 
Lawrence  rivers.  The  province  has  a  well-regulated  and  effective  school 
system,  under  control  of  a  superintendent  of  education.  The  school  popula- 
tion in  1 88 1  was  209,623;  number  of  elementary  public  schools,  4,404,  with 
170,858  pupils;  colleges,  forty-four;  academies,  246;  special  schools,  eighteen ; 
normal,  three;  and  model,  333.  The  prevailing  form  of  religion  was  the 
Roman  Catholic,  which  had  712  churches  and  1,170,718  adherents.  The 
Presbyterians  were  second  in  number,  184,706.  The  total  number  of  churches 
was  1,280.  The  Church  of  England  had  a  bishop  at  Montreal,  ranking  as 
Metropolitan  of  Canada,  and  another  at  Quebec ;  the  Roman  Catholic  Church 
had  an  archbishop  at  Quebec,  and  bishops  at  Montreal,  Ottawa,  Three  Rivers, 
St.  Hyacinthe,  and  Rimouski ;  the  Presbyterian  Church  of  Canada  is  a 
branch  of  the  Kirk  of  Scotland,  and  the  Canadian  Presbyterian  Church  is  an 
independent  body.  The  charitable  institutions  included  twenty-nine  hospitals 
and  eleven  orphanages.     The  province  had  1,91 1  miles  of  railroad  in  operation. 


CITY  OF  QUEBEC. 

UEBEC  is  a  fine  commercial  city  in  the  Province  of  Quebec,  and  is 
considered  the  most  important  military  position  in  British  North 
America.  It  is  situated  at  the  junction  of  the  St.  Lawrence  and 
St.  Charles  rivers,  on  a  steep  ridge  or  promontory  formed  by  the  rivers.  It 
is  180  miles  northeast  of  Montreal,  500  miles  northeast  of  Toronto,  578  miles 
north-northeast  from  New  York,  360  miles  from  the  sea,  and  2,070  miles  from 
Liverpool.  The  Grand  Trunk  Railway,  the  Canadian  Pacific  Railway,  and 
the  Quebec  Central  Railway,  connect  it  with  the  systems  of  railroads  in 
Canada  and  the  United  States. 


I  :  ^ 


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M  i 


0'!i. 


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590 


THE    DOMINION   OF   CANADA: 


In  1534,  under  the  patronage  and  direction  of  Francis  I.  of  France,  the 
navigator,  Jacques  Cartier,  started  from  St.  Malo  with  three  ships  upon  an 
exploring  voyage,  entered  the  river  St.  Lawrence  upon  the  festival  day  of 
the  saint  of  that  name,  and  upon  the  14th  of  September  reached  the  bold 
promontory  where  the  citadel  stands,  under  the  shadow  of  which  he  found 
the  Indian  village  of  Stadacona,  a  name  popular  with  the  people  to  this  day. 

Nearly  a  century  later,  in  the  year  1608,  Samuel  de  Champlain  appeared 

upon  the  scene,  and  Quebec 


had  its  real  beginning. 
Champlain  also  found  and 
named  the  Richelieu  River, 
after  Cardinal  Richelieu,  the 
founder  of  the  trading  com- 
pany of  "One  Hundred  As- 
sociates," under  whose  direc- 
tion he  operated.  He  also 
found  the  Ottawa  and  the 
American  lake  that  still 
bears  his  name.  He  intro- 
duced the  order  of  the  Rc- 
collet  Friars  into  Canada, 
and  these  were  followed 
quickly  by  the  more  power- 
ful and  enterprising  Jesuits, 
who  toiled  with  heroic  ardor 
among  the  Indians  and  set- 
tlers, uniting  the  clerical  of- 
fice with  that  of  the  explorer. 
In  1663  the  population  of  Quebec  was  but  800  souls,  and  about  this  time 
Louis  XIV.,  the  reigning  monarch,  assumed  control  of  the  colony  of  New 
F'rance,  and  the  trading  company  lost  its  prestige.  It  continued  to  be  the 
centre  of  French  trade  and  Roman  Catholic  missions  in  North  America  till 
'759'  ^\hen  it  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  British  by  the  memorable  victorj-  of 
Wolfe  on  the  Heights  of  Abraham  above  the  city, — Wolfe,  tlie  English  com- 
mander, whose  character,  portrayed  so  vividly  in  "  The  Virginians."  has 
charmed  the  readers  of  a  generation.  He  came  to  extend  the  dominion  of 
tlie  British  crown.     Wolfe  and  his  veteran  Highlanders  and  Grenadiers  scaled 


WoI.IK.  S    MONIMKNI,    QUKIIKC. 


HER    PROVINCES  AND   PRINCIPAL   CITIES. 


591 


the  precipitous  heights,  and  fought  upon  the  Plains  of  Abraham  against  the 
soldiers  of  Montcalm,  and  the  tourist  of  to-day  sees  behind  the  superb  Duf- 
fcrin  Terrace  a  unique  monument,  probably  the  only  such  shaft  in  the  world, 
in  joint  memory  of  the  two  opposing  generals 
who  fell  upon  that  day.  Fifteen  years  later, 
Arnold,  the  destined  traitor  of  the  Revolution- 
ary cause,  coming  down  the  valley  of  Chaudiere, 
and  Montgomery  by  Lake  Champlain,  joined  in 
the  siege  of  the  city.  Montgomery  was  killed 
at  the  first  assault,  and  Arnold's  subsequent 
efforts  were  abortive.  Quebec  remained  the 
chief  city  of  Canada  till  the  British  settlements 
in  the  west  were  erected  into  a  separate  prov- 
ince, when  it  became  the  capital  of  Canada 
East,  now  forming  the  Province  of  Quebec. 

Quebec  is  the  Gibraltar  of  America,  and  its 
picturesque   old-world  battlements,   its  imprac-    view  from  the  citadei.,  (jrEi:Ec. 
ticable   streets,  its  landmarks  of   history  still  abundant,  and  its  un-Anglo- 
Saxon  ways  attract  the  attention  of  the  tourist.     The  walled  portion  of  Que- 
bec is  triangular  in  shape  and  three  miles  in 
extent.     The  wall  is  pierced  by  five  gateways; 
three   of   these  communicate    with  the  lower 
town.     St.    Louis    Gate,  a  beautiful    Norman 
structure,  leads  to  the   battle-fiela,  while    St. 
John's  Gate  is  the  outlet  to  Beauport  and  St. 
Rochs.    The  gate  by  which  strangers  enter  the 
upper  town  from  trains  and  boats  was  removed 
some  years  ago  to  facilitate  travel.     The  lead- 
ing attractions  within  the  walls  are  the  Ursu- 
line   Convent,  the   Seminary,  the  great    Laval 
University,  the  English  and  French  cathedrals, 
and  above  all,  the  outlook  from  the  Dufferin 
Terrace. 
\v..i,i.Es  luvE,  ..I  ii.Ec.  Ti^^,  highest  point  of  the  city  is  Cape  Dia- 

mond,  on  which  is  built  the  citadel,  about  350  feet  above  the  water.  From 
this  point  it  extends  or  slopes  down  to  the  river  St.  Charles.  The  upper  and 
lower  towns  are  so  named  on  account  of  the  difference  in  elevation.     Quebec 


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THE   DOMINION   OF  CANADA. 


is  only  second  to  Montreal  in  Canada  in  the  importance  of  its  commerce. 
About  600  vessels  enter  the  port  annually  from  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  and  as 
many  pass  in  front  of  the  city  to  jjo  to  Montreal.  It  is  one  of  the  great 
lumber  and  timber  markets  of  North  America.  The  imports  amount  to  §8.- 
000,000,  and  exports  $13,000,000,  annuall)-.  Ship-building  is  conduced  on 
an  extensive  scale.  The  chief  industries  are  the  boot  and  shoe  and  the 
leather  manufactures.  It  has  lines  of  steamers  connecting  with  Liverpool, 
Glasgow,  and  London,  and  numerous  lines  with  the  gulf,  coast,  and  river 
towns.  The  view  from  the  citadel  of  Quebec  is  one  of  the  most  magnificent 
in  the  world,  and  the  scenery  in  its  neighborhood,  amidst  which  are  the 
Falls  of  Montmorenci,  adds  greatly  to  the  attractions  of  the  city.  It  con- 
tains a  seminary  for  the  education  of  Catholic  clergy,  established  in  1636. 
Quebec  is  the  seat  of  a  Catholic  archbishop,  who  is  (1889)  Cardinal  Tasche- 
reau,  and  an  Episcopal  bishop.  The  Church  of  Scotland  and  otlier  denomi- 
nations are  also  represented  Population  in  i8~i,  59,699;  1886,  75,000;  1889, 
78,500. 


CITY  OF   MONTREAL. 

ONTREAL  is  the  great  commercial  metropolis  of  Canada,  and  the 
largest  city  of  British  North  America.  It  is  in  the  Province  of 
Quebec,  situated  on  the  Island  of  Montreal.  This  island  is  formed 
by  the  Ottawa  and  St.  Lawrence  rivers,  and  is  separated  from  the  mainland 
bj'  the  Back  River,  or,  as  the  P>ench  prefer  to  call  it,  the  Riviere  des  Prairies; 
it  is  180  miles  southwest  of  Quebec  and  200  miles  northeast  of  Lake  Ontario, 
406  miles  north  of  New  York,  and  310  miles  northeast  of  Toronto,  3,200  from 
Liverpool,  and  600  miles  from  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Lawrence.  Situated  at 
the  head  of  the  ocean  navigation  of  the  St.  Lawrence,  Montreal  has  naturall)- 
become  the  depot  for  the  exports  and  imports  of  all  the  Canadas.  Its  harbor 
admits  vessels  of  3,500  tons,  and  is  3  miles  in  extent.  It  is  lined  with  wharves 
for  a  mile  and  a  quarter,  and  is,  from  its  inland  position  (90  miles  above  the 
influence  of  the  tides),  perfectly  safe.  At  the  same  time,  the  obstruction  to 
vessels  sailing  further  up  the  river,  caused  by  the  rapids,  has  been  sur- 
mounted by  magnificent  canals.  It  is  in  immediate  connection  with  the  vast 
lumber  country  adjoining  the  former  river  and  its  tributaries.  While  naviga- 
tion is  open,  an  extensive  daily  traffic  is  carried  on  by  steamers  and  sailing 


its  commerce. 

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vessels  of  every  dscription  with  Lake  Ontario  and  t.ie  Ottawa  district,  ;is  well 
as  with  the  lower  St.  Lawrence;  and  the  ships  of  several  ocean  steamship 
companies  keep  up  a  veekly  communication  with  Liverpool,  while  at  the 
same  time  the  harbor  is  constantly  crowded  with  vessels  from  other  foreign 
ports. 

After  the  navigation  of  the  St.  Lawrence  is  closed  (December  to  April), 
the  ocean  steamers  find  a  harbor  at  Portland,  Maine,  which  is  connected  with 
Montreal  by  a  railway  of  292  miles.  This  line  belongs  to  the  Grand  Trunk 
Railwa)-  Company,  and  crosses  the  St.  Lawrence  at  Montreal  by  the  cele- 
brated tubular  Victoria  Bridge,  the  length  of  which,  including  its  two  abut- 
ments and  24  piers,  is  above  a  mile  an'  three-quarters.  By  the  lines  of  tlie 
same  company,  Montreal  has  railway  communication  with  Upper  Canada, 
the  Western  States,  and  Lower  Canada,  while  the  Intercolonial  Railway 
opens  up  communication  with  Halifax  and  St.  John.  Several  other  lines, 
including  the  Canadian  Pacific,  afford  communication  with  various  parts  of 
Canada  and  the  United  States.  The  position,  therefore,  of  Montreal  as  a 
centre  of  commerce  is  perhaps  unequalled,  and  its  rapid  advance  in  conse- 
quence has  placed  it,  within  the  last  few  years,  among  the  first  commercial 
cities  of  the  American  continent. 

The  most  conspicuous  building  in  Montreal,  which  is  also  one  of  the  finest 
churches  on  the  continent  of  America,  is  the  Roman  Catholic  Cathedral. 
Built  in  the  Gothic  style  of  the  thirteenth  century,  it  comprises  seven  chapels 
and  nine  aisles.  Its  bells  are  famous,  one  of  them  being  ranked  among  the 
five  largest  in  the  world.  It  accommodates  10,000  people.  It  has  numerous 
turrets  and  two  iinposing  towers  on  the  main  front  which  are  250  feet  in 
height ;  and  its  chief  window  is  64  feet  high  and  32  broad.  There  are  several 
other  Roman  Catholic  churches  belonging  to  the  order  of  St.  Sulpice.  to 
whose  members  chiefly  Montreal  owes  its  foundation,  and  who  still  hold  the 
seigniory  of  ortions  of  the  island  on  which  the  city  is  built.  Adjoining  the 
cathedral  is  the  Seminary  of  St.  Sulpice,  to  which  a  large  addition  has  bi-en 
built  recently  at  a  cost  of  $40,000.  The  city  contains  also  some  of  the  largest 
convents  in  the  world.  The  general  wealth,  indeed,  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
Church  in  Montreal  has  grown  enormous,  in  consequence  of  the  increased 
value  of  the  propetry  given  to  it  during  the  early  settlements.  The  church 
of  England  has  a  Cathedral  erected  at  an  expense  of  above  $100,000,  which 
is  very  chaste  in  style.  St.  Andrew's  Church,  the  most  important  belonging 
to  the  Church  of  Scotland,  is  also  a  very  chaste  specimen  of  Gothic  archi- 


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THE   DOMINION   OF  CANADy,: 


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tccturc,  and  cost  about  $50,000.  At  about  the  same  Cvist  the  Methodist ; 
have  built  a  handsome  church  in  the  florid  Gothic  style.  Besides  the  Roman 
Catholic  Collejje  on  Sherbrooke  Street,  St.  Mary's  Collef,e  of  the  Jesuits, 
and  a  Baptist  College,  Montreal  possesses  an  important  university  under  tlu 
name  of  McGill  College:    founded  by  a  bequest  of  on.  James  McGill  in 

i8l  I,  erected  into  a  university  by  royal  charter  in  1821,  and   reorganized  by 
an  amended  charter  in  1852.     It  ranks  as  one  of  the  leading  educational  in 
stitutions  of  the  Dominion.     Its  fine  buildings  and  extensive  grounds  art 
located  in  the  upper  portion  of  the  city. 

Montreal  is  supplied  with  water  by  magnificent  works,  which  cost  about 
$6,000,000.     The  water  is  brought  from  the  St.  Lawrence,  above  the  Lachinc 

Rapids,  by  an  aqueduct  five  miles 
long.  The  eastern  suburb  of  Mon- 
treal, now  incorporated  as  one  of  the 
wards  of  the  city,  called  Hochelaga, 
was  originally  the  site  of  an  Indian 
village  of  the  same  name,  discovered  in 
September,  1535,  by  Jacques  Cartier; 
and  it  is  from  his  admiring  exclama- 
tion at  the  view  obtained  from  the 
neighboring  hill  that  Montreal  (cor- 
rupted from  Mont  Royal)  derives  its 
name.  The  most  westerly  permanent 
settlement  which  the  French  obtained 
in  Canada,  it  was,  under  them,  merely 
an  outpost  of  Quebec,  and  continued  to  be  such,  under  British  rule,  till  1832, 
whcMi  it  became  a  separate  port.  Since  then,  the  rapidity  of  its  progress  has 
been  marvellous.  The  annual  imports  are  about  $100,000,000,  and  the  exports 
$90,000,000;  the  latter  consist  of  flour,  lumber,  grain,  furs,  fish,  oil,  etc.  The 
principal  manufacturing  industries  consist  of  flour,  type  foundries,  woolen 
and  cotton  goods,  steam-engines,  various  kinds  of  iron-ware,  tools,  cordage, 
rubber  goods,  paper,  furniture,  etc.  The  stranger  who  wanders  along  the 
business  streets,  if  observant,  will  note  the  air  of  solidity  imparted  to  the 
structures.  They  are  largely  built  of  stone,  and  look  as  though  they  might 
endure  for  ages. 

Montreal  has  its  French  quart<"r,  as  well  defined  as  that  of  New  Orleans, 
and  its  English  quarter.     The  active  centre  of  the  F^rench  population  surges 


VKTORIA   BRIDOE,    CKOSSINC.   THE    ST.    I-AWRENCE 
RIVER    AT   MONTREAL. 


■■'i''>:''''lt 


HER   PROVINCES  AND    PRINCIPAL  CITIES. 


597 


around  Bonsecours  Market,  a  huge  and  stately  buildin^j  fronting  upon  the 
river,  and  up  through  Jacques  Cartier  square.  Upon  Notre  Dame  street,  at 
Jacques  Cartier  square,  stands  the  Nelson  monument.  The  splendid  man- 
sions on  Sherbrooke  street  are  chiefly  occupied  by  English  and  Scotch  mer- 
chants. Along  the  side  of  the  *'  Mountain  "  there  are  magnificent  mansions 
which  command  a  grand  view  of  the  surrounding  country. 

The  "  Honaventure  "  is  a  "  union  "  depot,  and  from  thence  arrive  and  de- 
part Grand  Trunk  trains,  the  Central  Vermont,  Southeastern,  and  other  lines. 
The  North  Shore  line  has  its  depot  (Quebec  route)  at  the  other  end  of  the 
city,  fronting  on  Notre  Dame  street.  Montreal  is  a  festive  city;  is  very 
proud  of  its  battalions  of  volunteers,  and  takes  keen  delight  in  the  achieve- 
ments of  its  lacrosse  and  snow-shoe  clubs.  The  mid-winter  carnival  is  now 
a  fixed  institution;  and  it  is  really  a  fact,  that  to  see  the  city  under  its  most 
favorable  conditions,  one  must  visit  it  in  January  or  February. 

The  great  Allan  line  of  steamships  gives  dignity  to  the  water-front  views, 
and  the  vessels  of  half  a  dozen  lesser  lines  are  clustered  along  the  wharves. 
In  1S40  the  population  of  Montreal  was  27,000;  in  1850,  53,000:  in  i860,  88,- 
000;   1870,  105,000;   1880,  125,000;   1886,  160,000;   1889.  189,215. 


PROVINCE   OF   NOVA   SCOTIA. 

OVA  SCOTIA,  the  former  colony  of  New  Scotland,  and  nore  re- 
motely known  as  Acadia,  or  New  France,  combined  with  Cape 
Breton  Island,  is  situated  between  latitude  43°  26'  and  47°  5'  north, 
am!  longitude  59°  40'  and  (^f  25'  west.  It  was  ceded  by  the  French  to  Eng- 
land in  1 7 14  at  the  peace  of  Utrecht,  and  after  the  peace  of  Aix-la-Chapelle 
in  1748  a  settlement  of  disbanded  troops  was  formed  there  by  Lord  Halifax, 
wliose  name  was  subsequently  given  to  the  capital  of  the  province.  The 
original  colony  had  an  area  of  15,677  square  miles,  but  the  incorporation  of 
Cape  Breton  Island  with  it  gave  it  a  total  of  20,907. 

It  is  connected  with  the  province  of  New  Brunswick  by  an  isthmus  thir- 
teen miles  wide,  has  a  coast  line  of  1,200  miles,  and  varies  in  width  from  fifty 
to  120  miles.  In  the  interior  the  surface  is  undulating  and  the  soil  generally 
fertile;  on  the  coast  it  is  very  rugged.  About  3,000  square  miles  of  the  sur- 
face are  under  water.  In  every  part  the  lakes  and  rivers  are  numerous,  leav- 
ing few  places  far  from  convenient  water-carriage,  or  without  eligible  sites 


:Sir' 


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IV.  '' 


ii  x- 


598 


THK    DOMINION    OF   CANADA: 


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ft)r  flour  and  saw  mills.  The  shore  is  lined  with  numberless  inlets,  witliiii 
which  small  craft  sail  in  smooth  watei  while  there  is  the  heaviest  sea  outsiilc. 
The  chief  inlets  are  Sheet  Harbor,  eastward  from  Halifax,  and,  westwanl 
from  it,  Margaret's  Hay,  Mahone  Hay,  and  Shelburne  Harbor,  all  of  thmi 
deep  and  spacious  basins.  Halifa.x  Harbor  is  one  of  the  finest  roadsteads  in 
the  world,  and  is  the  principal  Hritish  naval  station  of  North  America. 

The  geological  formations  are  granite,  gneiss,  mica-slate,  and  metaiiini 
phic  rock.  The  trap  regions  contain  gems  and  neolites;  the  sandstone,  beds 
of  gypsum  and  rock  salt;  the  coal-measures  valuable  fields  of  coal,  particu- 
larly in  the  Cumberland  and  I'ictou  fields;  iron  ore  occurs  in  large  (juantitits 
in  connection  with  coal;  specular  iron  ore  is  found  south  of  the  Cobeipiiil 
Hills;  copper-ore  exists  in  several  places,  particularly  at  Cape  tl'Or;  lead  oiu 
is  frequent  in  the  limesitone  at  Guy's  River;  excellent  mill  and  grindstones  arc 
found  near  Cape  Canso  and  elsewhere;  the  finest  freestone  for  building  pui 
poses  abounds  along  the  northern  shore;  valuable  iilate  is  taken  from  the 
central  region;  and  salt-springs  of  great  strength  are  numerous  between  tlir 
Hasin  of  Mines  and  Northumberland  Strait.  The  climate  is  healthy,  bracint,', 
and  considerably  modified  by  the  nearly  insular  position  of  the  province 
The  winter  season  varies  in  length  and  severity,  but  the  influence  of  the  (nilf 
Stream  renders  the  harbors  on  the  Atlantic  coast  accessible  all  the  year 
round,  while  the  parts  on  the  northern  coast  may  be  frozen  up  a  period  nf 
four  months.  At  no  time  is  the  cold  oppressive,  nor  is  the  heat  of  summer, 
except  for  occasional  brief  periods,  excessive. 

The  census  of  1881  gave  the  entire  province  a  population  of  440,572,  com- 
posed chiefly  of  English,  Scotch,  and  Irish.  The  main  occupations  are  farm- 
ing and  fishing.  A  considerable  trade  is  done  in  ship-building  and  distillin,L,^ 
The  manufactures  include  cloths,  flannels,  bed  linen,  blankets,  carpets,  paper, 
tobacco,  leather,  agricultural  implements,  stoves,  rope,  and  chain  cables.  The 
exports,  which  in  1881  amounted  to  $9,217,295,  embraced  timber  of  all  sorts, 
plank,  deal,  spars,  staves,  cord-wood,  fish,  dry  and  pickled,  smoked  herring, 
seal-skins,  oil,  coal,  gypsum,  grindstones,  butter,  potatoes,  and  other  vcl;c- 
tablcs;  and  the  imports,  valued  at  $8,701,589,  British  manufactures,  wines, 
spirits,  beef,  pork,  sugar,  and  tobacco.  The  yield  of  coal  in  that  year  was 
1,365,800  tons;  grain  products,  5,570,444  bushels;  potatoes,  6,961,016  bushels; 
hay,  414,046  tons;  and  timber  of  all  kinds  and  forms,  3,144,323  cubic  feet. 
The  fisheries  employed  755  vessels  and  13,214  boats;  many  of  them  of  do- 
mestic build,  and  26,900  men,  and  yielded  715,781  quintals  of  cod,  haddock, 


IIKR    I'KOVINCKS   AND    PRINCIPAL   CITIKS. 


599 


atul  hnkc,   301,756  barrels  of  other  fish,  3,841,467  poutuls  of  lobster,  unil 
275,352  jjallons  of  fish  oil. 

The  executive  authority  is  vested  in  a  Lieutenant-Governor  and  an  ex- 
ecutive council,  aided  by  an  attorney-^jeneral,  a  premier  and  provincial  secre- 
tary, and  a  commissioner  of  public  works  and  mines;  the  le^jislative  in  a 
legislative  council  appointeil  for  life  and  an  assembly  of  forty-three  members; 
anil  the  judicial  in  a  court  of  (jueen's  bench,  court  of  eijuity,  and  district 
courts.  Halifax  is  the  capital  of  the  province,  and  Sydney  of  Cape  Hreton 
Island.  A  system  of  public  school  education  was  established  in  1826,  and 
improved  every  fcv  years  up  to  1S64,  when  a  plan  was  adopted  that  has  since 
underj,'one  but  slight  chauj^es.  For  several  years  the  annual  expenditure  for 
educational  purposes  has  avera{;ed  $700,000.  (jrammar,  hi^h.  'ind  normal 
schools  are  maintained  in  each  district,  and  there  are  a  number  of  hij^di  jjrade 
atul  colle^jiate  institutions,  such  as  Kind's  CoUej^c  at  Windsor,  on  the  plan  of 
Cambridge  and  Oxfonl,  Dalhousie  Collcj^e  at  Halifax,  on  the  moilel  of  Kdin- 
hur^h  University,  Acadia  Collej^e,  Roman  Catholic,  at  Halifax,  and  the  Haptist 
Coliej^e  at  Harton.  The  dominant  form  of  relijj[ion  is  that  of  tlic  Church  of 
Eln^dand,  whose  bishop  and  archdeacon  are  supported  by  the  home  govern- 
ment, and  the  clerj^^y  by  the  Society  for  the  Propa^jation  of  the  Gospel.  The 
Presbyterians  rank  second,  and  represent  the  Established  Chiirch  of  Scotland, 
the  I'Vec  Church  of  Scotland,  and  the  United  Presbyterian  Church  of  Scot- 
lanil.     Tile  Roman  Catholics,  Mithodists,  Baptists,  and  minor  sects  follow. 


CITY   OV    HALIFAX. 

ALIFAX,  a  seaport,  and  the  capital  of  the  Province  of  Nova  Scotia, 
stands  on  the  southeast  or  outer  coast  of  the  peninsula.  The 
harbor  is  one  of  the  finest  in  the  world.  It  is  entered  from  the 
south,  extends  northwards  about  16  miles,  terminates  in  a  magnificent  sheet 
of  water  called  Jk-dford  Hasin,  is  spacious  enough  for  the  entire  navy  of 
England,  and  offers  all  the  year  round  easy  access  and  safe  anchorage  to 
vessels  of  any  magnitude.  Lines  of  steamers  ply  between  Halifax  and  Lon- 
don, Liverpool,  the  continent  of  Europe,  New  York,  Boston,  and  the  West 
Indies.  It  is  the  great  centre  of  trade  for  the  maritime  provinces  of  Canada. 
Halifax  with  its  suburbs  extends  along  the  slope  of  a  hill,  and  is  over 
three  miles  in  length,  and  averages  about  a  mile  in  width.     There  are  many 


' 


■A 


6oo 


THE   DOMINION   OF  CANADA; 


beautiful  residences  on  the  northwest  arm  which  runs  from  the  harbor  three 
miles  inland.  The  dock-yard,  covering  fourteen  acres,  is  one  of  the  most 
extensive  of  the  British  Empire.  A  number  of  British  war-ships  are  gener- 
ally moored  off  this  dock-yard.  The  city  is  now  the  stronghold  of  the  Ini 
perial  army  and  navy  in  North  America.  All  the  entrances  to  the  harbor 
bristle  with  batteries  armed  with  the  heaviest  ordnance,  and  garrisoned  with 
British  troops. 

The  principal  edifices  are  the  Custom-house  and  Post-ofiice,  the  Province 
Building,  Dalhousie  College,  Government  House,  Military  and  Provincial 
Hospitals,  Admiralty  House,  Lunatic  Asylums,  schools  for  blind  and  deaf 
and  dumb,  and  several  fine  common  schools,  penitentiary,  Court-house, 
Academy  of  Music,  a  new  City  Hall,  etc.  There  are  25  churches,  a  Roman 
Catholic  cathedral,  and  resicUnces  for  an  Episcopal  Bishop  and  a  Roman 
Catholic  Archbishop.  It  has  three  sugar  refineries,  a  cotton  factory,  several 
boot  and  shoe  factories,  and  a  number  of  minor  industries.  There  are  seven 
banks  and  a  government  savings  bank.  Halifax  has  railway  communication 
with  the  whole  continent.  It  is  the  winter  port  of  the  Intercolonial  and 
Canada  Pacific  Railways.  It  enjoys  unrivalled  shipping  facilities  and  has  a 
grain  elevator.  The  parks  and  public  gardens  are  famed  for  their  beauties. 
Population,  1889,  4r),78o. 


PROVINCE   OF    NEW  BRUNSWICK. 

EW  BRUNSWICK  formed  a  part  of  Nova  Scotia  when  known 
as  Acadia,  was  first  colonized  in  1692,  ceded  to  England  in  171 3, 
settled  by  Scotch  immigrants  in  1764,  and  separated  from  Nova 
Scotia  and  given  its  jiresent  name  in  1785.  It  is  situated  between  latitude 
44°  35'  and  48°  5'north  and  longitude  63^47'  and  69"^  5'  west,  and  bounded 
on  the  north  by  the  province  of  Quebec,  on  the  east  by  the  Gulf  of  St.  Law- 
rence, on  the  south  by  the  Bay  of  Fundy,  and  on  the  west  by  the  State  of 
Maine.  The  census  of  1881  gave  it  an  area  of  27,174  square  miles,  and  a 
population  of  321,233. 

The  province  is  divided  naturally  into  three  regions.  The  northern  is 
very  hilly  and  even  mountainous,  with  a  table-land  2,000  feet  above  sea  level, 
and  numerous  lakes.  The  central  is  divided  from  the  northern  by  a  line  run- 
ning from  Presque  Isle,  on  the  St.  John  River  on  the  west,  to  the  mouth  of  the 


Jaifrs:-.-' 


HER    I'ROVINCICS   AND   PRINCIPAL   CITIPLS. 


60 1 


Little  Nipisighet  River  in  the  Bay  of  Chaleurs.  The  shores  of  this  region 
are  low;  nearly  all  the  rivers  have  sand  bars  at  their  mouths;  there  are  but 
few  good  harbors ;  timber-covered  hills  are  numerous;  and  the  eastern  por- 
tion is  quite  level  and  the  most  fertile  part  of  the  province.  The  southern 
region  comprehends  the  country  along  the  Bay  of  Fundy,  and  from  forty  to 
fifty  miles  inland.  In  the  western  section  is  the  greater  part  of  Passama- 
quoddy  Bay,  an  extensive  sheet  01  water,  branching  out  into  several  inlets, 
and  forming  harbors  for  vessels  of  considerable  size. 

The  bay  is  well  known  to  tourists  and  sportsmen  of  the  United  States. 
It  contains  several  islands,  the  largest  of  which  are  Campobello,  ten  miles 
long  and  two  wide,  and  Deer,  nearly  seven  miles  long  and  three  wide  in  its 
broadest  part ;  while  just  below  its  entrance  into  the  Bay  of  Fundy  lies  the 
noted  Grand  Manan,  fourteen  miles  long  and  six  or  seven  wide.  East  of  St. 
John  River  the  surface  is  rocky  and  sterile,  but  the  region  has  several  fine 
valleys,  in  which  the  rivers  flow,  mostly  to  the  St.  John,  and  in  which  there 
are  several  lakes  of  considerable  extent.  The  principal  rivers  are  the  St. 
Croix,  which  separates  the  province  from  the  State  of  Maine;  the  St.  John, 
which  has  a  flow  of  400  miles;  the  Miramichi,  100  miles  long  and  navigable 
for  forty;  the  Nipisighet,  nearly  100  miles  long,  with  many  falls  and  rapids; 
and  the  Ristigouche,  which  forms  the  northern  boundary  of  the  province. 

The  natural  resources  of  the  province  are  red  marl,  gypsum,  copper, 
plumbago,  manganese,  anthracite  and  bituminous  coal,  sail,  sulphur,  and 
amethyst,' carnelian,  and  jasper.  The  climate  is  remarkably  healthy,  and  the 
heat  greater  and  cold  more  intense  than  under  the  same  latitudes  in  Europe. 
Nearly  the  whole  surface  of  the  province  is  covered  with  forests,  in  which 
pine,  fir,  spruce,  hemlock,  birch,  beech,  maple,  ash,  and  poplar  abound.  The 
chief  agricultural  products  are  wheat,  rye,  oats,  barley,  beans,  peas,  and  buck- 
wheat. Flax,  potatoes,  turnips,  red  and  white  clover,  and  some  small  fruits, 
like  apples,  plums,  and  cherries  are  likewise  cultilvated.  Numerous  wild 
animals  roam  the  forests,  tempting  the  skill  of  the  hunter  and  trapper,  and 
the  rivers,  lakes,  and  bays  abound  with  salmon,  trout,  eels,  perch,  cod,  mack- 
eral,  and  herring.  In  188 1  there  were  849,678  acres  in  crops,  and  392,169  in 
pasture.  The  grain  products  amounted  to  5,490,896  bushels,  potatoes,  6,961, - 
016  bushels,  hay,  414,046  tons,  wool,  760,531  pounds;  and  the  farms  contained 
52,975  horses,  8.812  oxen,  203,748  milch  cows  and  other  cattle,  221,163  sheep, 
and   53,087  .swine. 

The  government  of  this  province  is  vested  similarly  to  that  of  ihe  other 


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provinces.  No  legal  preference  is  shown  to  any  form  of  religion,  but  the 
bishop  of  the  Church  of  England  takes  precedence  after  the  Lieutenant- 
Governor  and  the  commander  of  the  British  forces  on  ceremonial  occasions, 
A  system  of  free  public  schools  was  established  in  1871,  and  all  the  lari;i 
religious  denominations  have  high  grade  schools  or  colleges  of  a  sectariiui 
character.  The  principal  cities  and  towns  are:  Frederickton,  the  capital,  St 
John,  the  largest  and  most  important  city,  St.  Andrews,  Woodstock,  New 
castle,  Bathhurst,  and  Dalhousie.  In  1S81  the  province  was  well  equipped 
with  telegraphic  and  railroad  facilities,  and  had  1,148  miles  of  the  latter  in 
operation. 


CITY   OF   FREDERICTON. 


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Vcw  Brunswick, 
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CITY   OF   ST.  JOHN. 

T.  JOHN,  the  capital  of  St.  John  County,  is  the  commercial  metrop- 
olis and  largest  city  of  the  Province  of  New  Brunswick.  It  is 
situated  at  the  mouth  of  the  river  of  its  own  name,  190  miles 
northwest  of  Halifax.  The  harbor,  which  is  protected  by  batteries,  is  good, 
and  accessible  to  the  largest  vessels  at  all  .seasons  of  the  year.  The  entrance 
of  the  river  into  the  harbor  :s  through  a  rocky  gorge,  about  a  mile  above  the 


ST.    JOHN,    NEW   HRrNSWICK. 


city,  spanned  by  a  fine  sus[)ension  bridge,  640  feet  long  and  90  feet  above  the 
water:  also  by  a  cantilever  railway  bridge  completed  since  1885,  by  which  a 
ilirect  line  of  travel  is  established,  as  formerly  all  passengers  and  baggage  had 
to  he  transferred  from  the  Intercolonial  Railway  to  the  New  Brunswick  Rail- 
road by  ferry.  The  streets  are  wide,  and  meet  at  right  angles.  Some  of 
them  are  cut  30  or  40  feet  deep  through  solid  rock,  the  city  being  built  on  a 
rocky  peninsula,  slanting  down  to  the  water.  Since  the  great  fire  of  June, 
1877,  which  destroyed  the  greater  part  of  the  town  ami  caused  a  loss  of  about 


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$12,000,000,  the  buildings  have  been  constructed  chiefly  of  brick  or  stone. 
The  principal  public  buildings  are  the  Court-house,  the  Insane  Asylum,  Post- 
office,  City  Hospital,  City  Hall,  Opera-house,  Academy  of  Music,  Roman 
Catholic  Cathedral,  the  barracks,  the  mechanics'  institute,  and  the  peniten- 
tiary. The  city  has  a  fire  department,  a  police  force,  a  system  of  water-works, 
gas,  horse-cars,  a  fire-alarm  telegraph,  about  40  churches,  several  schools, 
banks,  academies,  orphan  asylums,  newspapers,  good  hotels,  a  natural  history 
society,  a  historical  society,  etc. 

The  city  is  governed  by  a  mayor,  and  eighteen  aldermen.  It  is  connected 
with  the  New  England  states  by  the  New  Brunswick  Railroad,  and  with 
Nova  Scotia  by  the  Intercolonial  Railroad.  The  principal  industries  are  ship- 
building, fisheries,  and  the  lumber  trade.  The  manufacture  of  machinerj , 
boots  and  shoes,  cotton  and  woolen  goods,  leather,  carriages,  edge-tools, 
paper,  iron  castings,  steam-engines,  etc.,  is  carried  on  to  a  considerable 
extent.  The  exports,  which  average  annually  $4,000,000,  are  principalh- 
lumbor  shipped  to  Europe,  the  West  Indies,  and  the  United  States.  The 
imports  are  about  $8,000,000  annually.  Population,  1889,  28,000;  including 
Portland  at  mouth  of  St.  John's  River,  45,000. 


PROVINCE   OF    MANITOBA. 

ANITOBA  was  formerly  known  as  Prince  Rupert's  Land,  riml 
later  as  the  Red  River  Settlement,  because  the  first  considerable 
settlement  was  made  in  the  region  of  what  is  called  in  the  United 
States  the  Red  River  of  the  North.  It  is  situated  between  latitude  49°  and 
50°  30'  north  and  longitude  96°  and  99°  west,  and  is  bounded  on  the  north, 
east,  and  west  by  the  Northwest  Territories,  and  south  by  the  State  of  Min- 
nesota and  the  Territory  of  Dakota.  It  was  formerly  a  part  of  the  enormous 
possessions  of  the  Hudson  B.iy  Company,  who  sold  it  to  the  Dominion  gov- 
ernment in  1869. 

When  its  first  Lieutenant-Governor  undertook  to  exercise  his  authority 
the  colonists  deposed  him  and  made  a  declaration  of  independence.  This  act 
led  to  the  invasion  of  the  new  province  by  an  expedition  composed  of  regular 
British  troops  and  Canadian  militia  in  the  summer  of  1870;  but  a  compromise 


hek  provinces  and  principal  cities. 


60  c 


was  arranged  with  the  disaffected  colonists,  and  they  were  given  full  repre- 
sentation in  the  parliament.  In  1881  it  had  an  area  of  123,200  square  miles, 
and  a  population  of  65,954,  which  was  increased  to  125,000  in  1883.  The 
surface  is  almost  entirely  a  level  prairie,  bisected  by  the  Red  River,  which 
empties  into  Lake  Winnipeg,  and  with  the  richest  wheat  soil  in  the  world. 
The  valley  of  the  river  which  has  made  Dakota  and  Minnesota  famous  the 
world  over  for  their  great  wheat  farms,  carries  its  remarkable  fertility  into 
the  province  and  well  up  toward  its  mouth. 

The  province  is  without  mineral  resources,  and  wood  of  any  considerable 
growth  is  exceedingly  scarce;  it  is  purely  and  wholly  an  agricultural  and 
grazing  section,  and  as  such  the  richest  in  the  entire  dominion.  Its  settle- 
ment has  been  accelerated  by  the  wonderful  narratives  of  the  farming  wealth 
and  possibilities  on  this  side  the  border.  Of  the  entire  domain,  2,384,337 
acres  were  occupied  in  1881,  230,264  were  in  crops,  and  250,416  were  im- 
proved; 16,739  horses  were  employed  on  the  farms,  12,269  oxen,  and  48,012 
milch  cows  and  other  cattle;  and  the  products  were:  wheat,  1,033,673 
bushels;  oats,  1,270,268;  barley,  253,604;  butter,  957,152  pounds,  and  cheese, 
19,613.  Wild  game,  fowl,  and  fish  abound:  wild  fruits  are  plentiful;  elk, 
badgers,  and  squirrels  are  the  only  wild  animals  of  note.  The  climate  is 
healthy,  but  subject  to  extreme  changes,  the  severity  of  which  is  considerably 
modified  by  the  pure,  dry  atmosphere. 

The  government  is  administered  by  a  Lieutenant-Governor,  aided  by  an 
executive  council  of  five  members,  and  a  legislative  assembly  of  twenty-four. 
There  were  88  churches  in  1881,  and  the  population  was  divided  denomina- 
tionally as  follows:  Presbyterians,  14,292;  adherents  of  the  Church  of  Eng- 
land, whose  head,  the  Lord  Bishop  of  Rupert's  Land,  had  his  seat  at  Winni- 
peg, 12,297;  Roman  Catholics,  who  had  an  archbishop  at  St.  Boniface,  12,246; 
Methodists,  9,470;  Baptists,  9,449;  the  remainder  were  of  minor  sects  or  of 
no  acknowledged  creed.  There  were  four  colleges  and  five  boarding  schools; 
and  the  newly  established  system  of  public  education  had  several  elementary 
institutions  in  operation.  A  great  hinderance  to  the  development  of  the  prov- 
ince for  several  years  was  the  lack  of  adequate  means  of  communication ;  but 
this  drawback  was  materially  relieved  by  the  extension  through  it  of  the 
Canadian  Pacific  Railway,  which  had  670  miles  of  road  in  operation  within  its 
limits  in  1881.  And  even  with  this  great  iron  artery  leading  directly  to  its 
choicest  sections,  many  immigrants  thereto  have  since  found  it  advantageous 
in  cost  or  speed  to  seek  their  destination  through  the  United  States. 


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CITY   OF   WINNIPEG. 

INNIPEG,  the  capital  city  of  the  Province  of  Manitoba,  is  situatfcl 
on  the  west  bank  of  the  Red  River  of  the  North  at  the  mouth  of 
the  Asj:inniboin,  thirty  miles  southeast  of  the  headwaters  of  Lake 
Manitoba,  forty  miles  south  of  Lake  Winnipeg,  and  sixty-seven  miles  north 
of  St.  Vincent,  on  the  boundary  line  of  the  United  States  and  British  posses- 
sions. 

The  rapidity  of  its  growth  is  equalled  only  by  that  of  some  of  the  Colo- 
rado mining  cities,  and  is  a  standing  marvel  in  British  eyes.  This  growth  i\ 
due  to  two  causes:  the  extreme  fertility  of  its  location,  and  the  extension 
through  it  of  the  great  Canadian  Pacific  Railroad.  The  site  now  occupied  i)\- 
the  city  will  be  more  readily  recalled  by  the  elder  generation  by  its  fornur 
name,  Fort  Garry,  and  the  fact  that  from  its  establishment  in  1820  till  the 
l)urchase  of  the  section  by  the  Dominion  government,  it  was  the  chief  trading 
station  of  the  powerful  Hudson  Bay  Company.  Its  name  was  derived  from 
the  fort,  erected  as  a  protection  against  Indian  incursions,  curious  remains  of 
which  are  still  preserved.  It  has  a  warm  but  not  oppressive  climate  in  sum- 
mer, which,  while  it  lasts,  provides  beautiful  clear  skies  and  bracing  air. 
Vegetation  is  luxuriant  in  the  rich,  loamy  soil,  and  its  growth  surprisingly 
rapid.  The  winters  are  severe,  but  the  atmosphere  is  dry,  clear,  and  invigor- 
ating. 

In  1868  Winnipeg  was  virtualh-  a  wildcrne.ss.  Two  years  later  it  had  a 
permanent  settlement  of  215  persons.  From  that  time  it  gained  in  popula- 
tion from  500  to  1,000  per  annum,  till  1881,  when  it  had  14,700  inhabitants, 
.street  extensions  of  over  100  miles,  nearly  3,000  dwelling-houses,  and  a  prop- 
erty valuation  of  $6,585,067.  Formerly  the  Hudson  Bay  Company  enjoyed  a 
monopoly  of  the  fur  trade;  then  it  was  scattered  among  the  wholesale  houses 
that  had  grown  up  under  its  shadow.  In  1882  new  buildings  to  the  value  of 
$6,000,000  were  erected.  In  1886,  fifteen  years  after  it  was  made  the  capital 
city  of  the  new  province,  it  had  four  grist  mills,  which  yielded  a  product  of 
f^our  with  a  market  value  of  $1,062,500,  and  129  manufacturing  establishments, 
employing  a  capital  of  $2,050,766,  and  turning  out  products  worth  $3,229,724. 

The  joint  cause  of  religion  and  education  kept  pace  with  the  material 
prosperity  of  the  city;  churches  of  all  the  denomination^'  common  to  Canada 


% 


THE   DOMINION   OF   CANADA. 


607 


sprang  up  and  profited  by  the  vigor  and  enterprise  of  the  citizens;  and  after 
adequate  provision  had  been  made  for  the  elementary  educations  of  the  chil- 
dren, efforts  were  put  forth  tc  establish  a  higher  grade  system,  with  the  result 
that  in  1886  the  city  possessed  St.  John's  College,  under  the  control  of  the 
Anglican  Church;  Manitoba  College,  founded  by  the  Presbyterian  Church; 
the  College  of  St.  Boniface,  established  by  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  on 
the  opposite  side  of  the  river;  the  University  of  Manitoba,  and  St.  Mary's 
Academy.  In  the  five  years,  1880-86,  the  population  more  than  doubled, 
being  in  the  first  year  10,000,  and  in  the  latter  20,238,  or,  nearly  one-fifth  the 
entire  population  of  the  province  (108,640),  according  to  a  special  census 
taken  July  31,  1886. 


PRINCE   EDWARD   ISLAND. 

HIS  province,  which  was  named  in  honor  of  Queen  Victoria's 
father,  lies  in  the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence,  east  of  the  province  of 
y  New  Brunswick,  and  north  of  Nova  Scotia,  is  140  miles  long 
and  from  4  to  34  broad,  and  between  latitude  45°  58'  and  47°  7'  north  and 
longitude  62°  and  64''  27'  west.  It  has  an  area  of  2,131  square  miles,  and 
had  a  population  in  1881  of  108,891. 

It  was  discovered  by  Cabot,  June  24,  1497,  and  included  in  the  ter  itory 
of  New  France  and  called  St.  John's;  was  granted  as  a  feudal  tenure  to  Sieur 
Doublet,  a  French  naval  officer,  in  1663;  was  taken  by  the  English  in  1745, 
restored  to  France  at  the  peace  of  Aix-la-Chapelle ;  retaken  by  the  English 
1758,  and  at  the  peace  of  1763  confirmed,  with  Cape  Breton,  to  England;  was 
erected  into  a  separate  colony  1768;  and  was  given  its  present  name  1798. 
The  surface  is  generally  flat,  with  a  soil  adapted  to  agriculture  and  timber- 
growing.  It  is  destitute  of  minerals,  but  has  valuable  beds  of  peat  and  con- 
siderable wealth  in  timber,  which  supports  a  large  ship-building  interest. 
The  climate  is  salubrious  and  much  milder  than  that  of  the  adjoining  conti- 
nent. Of  its  1,365,400  acres,  1,126,653  were  occupied  in  1881,  596,731  were 
iinproved,  and  467,211  were  under  cultivation.  The  various  farm  animals 
aggregated  328,734.  The  agricultural  products  were  :  grain,  4,301,1 10  bushels, 
potatoes,  6,042,191,  turnips,  1,198,407;  dairy  products:  butter,  1,688,690 
pounds,  cheese,  196,273;  timber,  910,200  cubic  feet;  fisheries  products:  cod, 
18,736  quintals,  herring,  21,501  barrels,  mackerel,  91,792,  canned  lobster, 
3,275,316  pounds,  oysters,  175,408  barrels,  and  fish  oil,  8,139  gallons. 


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This  province  is  governed  in  the  same  manner  as  the  others  of  the 
Dominion,  and  is  divided  into  three  counties,  King's,  Queen's,  and  Prince's, 
each  of  which  has  four  representatives  in  the  legislative  council  and  ten  in  tlu' 
assembly.  The  land  tenure  has  been  a  source  of  agitation  in  the  province  for 
many  years.  At  the  close  of  the  last  century  the  whole  island  was  divided 
into  sixty-six  lots  and  distributed  among  various  persons.  As  late  as  1865, 
450,000  acres  were  held  by  occupiers  in  fee  simple;  244,779  belonged  to  the 
government;  669,600  were  owned  by  descendants  of  the  fortunate  sixty-six, 
of  which  209,702  were  held  by  tenants  under  lease;  and  459,898  were  unset 
tied.  For  a  number  of  years  the  government  has  made  a  practice  of  .buying 
up  the  interests  of  these  proprietors  whenever  an  opportunity  was  offered, 
and  reselling  the  estates  to  the  tenants  on  payments  extending  over  several 
years. 

Education  is  provided  for  by  grants  from  the  public  revenue,  and  in  1863 
the  experiment  was  tried  of  supplementing  the  government  grant  by  fees 
from  the  scholars  and  appropriations  from  the  different  districts,  but  it  failed, 
and  since  1867  the  teachers'  salaries  have  been  wholly  paid  by  the  govern 
ment.  In  the  schools  the  Bible  is  read  every  school  day  without  comment  or 
remark,  and  children  whose  parents  or  guardians  object  to  it,  are  exempted 
from  attendance  during  the  reading.  The  school  population  numbered  22,- 
711  in  1 881,  when  there  were  355  district  schools,  fifteen  grammar  schools, 
forty-six  high  schools,  and  three  colleges,  a  Roman  Catholic,  an  Anglican, 
and  a  Wesleyan,  all  at  Charlottetown,  the  capital.  Of  the  total  population 
in  that  year,  108,891,  47,115  were  of  the  Roman  Catholic  faith,  61,662  were 
Protestants  of  different  denominations,  and  the  remainder  were  of  other 
faiths  than  the  Christian.  The  total  number  of  churches  was  231.  There 
were  200  miles  of  railroad  in  operation  that  year. 


CITY  OF    CHARLOTTETOWN. 


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HARLOTTETOWN,  the  capital  city  of  the  Province  of  Prince 
Edward  Island,  is  situated  at  the  junction  of  the  Hillsborough  River 
with  the  Yorki  on  an  angular  piece  of  ground  which  rises  graduall\- 
from  the  southern  coast  to  the  northwest,  in  latitude  46°  15'  north,  and  longi- 
tude 63°  7'  west.  The  two  rivers,  together  with  the  Elliott,  form  the  inner 
harbor,  which  is  a  well-sheltered  basin  about  three  miles  wide,  whence  the 


HER   PROVINCES   AND   PRINCIPAL   CITIES. 


609 


three  streams  discharge  their  waters  through  a  single  channel  about  half  a 
mile  wide  into  Hillsborough  Bay,  which  is  locally  known  as  the  outer  harbor, 
and  is  capacious  and  safe  for  vessels  of  any  tonnage. 

The  town  is  regularly  built,  with  broad  streets  intersecting  each  other  at 
riglit  angles.  The  public  buildings  include  the  provincial  house,  a  handsome 
stone  edifice  with  ample  accommodations  for  the  legislature,  public  officers, 
and  supreme  courts  of  law  and  chancery,  the  old  court-house,  a  post-office, 
anil  an  asylum  for  lunatics  and  indigent  persons.  The  chief  educational  in- 
stitutions are  Prince  of  Wales,  St.  Dunstan,  and  Methodist  Colleges,  the  two 
former  receiving  a  part  of  their  support  from  the  government,  a  normal 
school,  and  a  convent.  There  are  nine  churches,  divided  among  the  Anglican, 
Roman  Catholic,  Presbyterian,  Methodist,  Haptist,  and  other  denominations. 
Tiic  city  has  a  valuable  export  trade  in  timber,  deals,  and  dried  and  pickled 
fish,  and  imports  chiefly  British  and  American  manufactures,  and  various 
articles  of  consumption.     Population  in  icSSl,  11,485, 


PROVINCE  OF  BRITISH  COLUMBIA. 

|rITISH  COLUMBIA,  composed  (1889)  of  the  old  colony  of  British 
Columbia  and  Vancouver's,  Queen  Charlotte's,  and  several  other 
adjacent  islands  which  were  incorporated  with  it  in  1866,  is  in  the 
northwest  part  of  North  America,  extends  from  the  United  States  boundary 
line  to  the  Arctic  Ocean,  has  Alaska  on  the  west  of  its  northern  extremity, 
and  is  separated  from  the  rest  of  the  British  possessions  on  the  east  by  the 
Rocky  Mountains.  Its  geographical  position  is  between  latitude  48°  19'  and 
60'  north  and  longitude  113°  and  136°  west.  The  census  of  1881  credited 
it  w  ith  an  area  of  341,305  square  miles,  all  the  islands  included,  and  a  popula- 
tion of  49,459,  which  embraced  25,661    Indians  and  4,350  Chinese. 

The  mainland  is  traversed  by  the  Cascade  as  well  as  the  Rocky  Mountains, 
and  its  surface  is  generally  mountainous,  though  there  are  large  sections  of 
arable  land  and  much  that  is  well  adapted  to  grazing.  Within  its  limits  the 
Rocky  Mountains  present  two  noted  peaks,  Mt.  Browne  which  has  an  eleva- 
tion of  16,000  feet,  and  Mt.  Hooker  only  300  feet  less.  W^est  of  the  Cascade 
range  the  country  is  heavily  wooded  with  dense  fir  and  spruce  forests,  but 
eastward  of  it  the  surface  presents  an  open  tract  till  Caribou,  the  head  of  the 
mining  region,  is  reached,  and  then  heavily  timbered  land  alternates  with 


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THE    DOMINION   OF   CANADA: 


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fertile  prairies.  The  country  is  watered  by  the  Columbia  and  Kra/.er  rivers, 
and  .  *■  the  delta  formed  by  the  latter,  Hurrard's  Inlet,  and  Mud  Hay  lies  an 
agricultural  region  of  the  richest  soil,  which  only  needs  drainage  and  ;i  good 
sea-wall  to  reclaim  the  whole,  as  was  done  at  Matsqui,  where  the  land  is 
under  cultivation,  and  potatoes,  turnips,  beets,  and  wheat  of  piienomenal  size 
•  are  raised.  Gold  and  silver  mining,  coal  mining,  stock-raising,  lumbering, 
and  great  manufactures  offer  extensive  fields  of  industry  to  capital  and 
energy. 

The  coal  supply  is  of  marvelous  extent,  and  beside  the  great  veins  which 
underlie  Vancouver's  Island,  an  excellent  quality  of  the  bituminous  grade  has 
been  laid  bare  east  of  the  Cascades  on  the  Nicola  River  and  in  the  vicinitj-  of 
Marble  Cafion.  Large  veins  of  marble  and  a  great  variety  of  choice  building 
stone  abound,  and  likewise  the  precious  minerals.  The  vast  bed  of  the 
Columbia  River  is  full  of  gold,  and  large  placer  deposits  are  frequentl)  met 
with  along  the  banks  of  the  Frazer,  while  there  are  known  to  be  vast  (juartz 
veins  throughout  the  province,  still  undeveloped  from  lack  of  capital  to  work 
them  advantageously. 

There  is  a  great  abundance  of  wild  game,  including  several  species  of 
deer,  notably  the  beautiful  caribou,  foxes,  martins,  puma,  grizzly,  cinnamon, 
big  black,  and  small  black  bears,  wolves,  cayotes,  pin-tailed  and  willow  grouse, 
ducks,  geese,  and  the  finest  trout  in  the  world.  The  supply  of  salmon  is  ex- 
tensive and  practically  inexhaustible,  and  several  companies  are  carrying  on 
large  fisheries  and  canr  ries  on  the  Naas,  Frazer,  and  Skeener  rivers.  The 
climate  is  as  mild  as  that  of  England,  and  the  air  is  very  dry.  Vancouver's 
Island  is  separated  from  the  mainland  by  a  channel,  variously  known  as 
Queen  Charlotte's  Sound,  Johnston's  Strait,  and  the  Gulf  of  Georgia.  The 
greater  part  of  its  area  is  mountain  and  barren  rock ;  the  remainder  exhibits 
the  forest  and  prairie  characteristics  of  the  mainland.  It  was  supposed  to 
form  a  part  of  the  mainland  till  1789.  Capt.  George  Vancouver  discovered 
its  isolation  on  his  voyage  to  Nootka  Sound,  under  orders  from  the  Hritish 
government  to  receive  a  formal  cession  of  the  territory  from  Spain,  in  1792. 
In  1848  it  was  made  over  to  the  Hudson  Bay  Company  on  the  condition  that 
they  should  colonize  it;  in  1856  gold  was  discovered  there,  and  in  1866  it  was 
incorporated  with  British  Columbia.  Its  area  is  estimated  at  13,000  square 
miles. 

In  1881  the  land  occupied  in  the  province  amounted  to  441,225  acres,  and 
improved    184,885.     The   grain   product   was   559,220  bushels,  and   potatoes 


HKR    PROVINCES   AND    1»RINCII'AL   CITIKS. 


6ii 


55^' '93-  Farm  aiiim.ils  minibcrcd  151,202;  butter  product  was  343, 3S7 
pounds,  cheese,  33,252;  value  of  fur  product  $153,442;  amount  of  timber 
product,  2,427,882  cubic  feet;  number  of  fisheries,  406;  and  value  of  -^'old 
product,  1871-82,  $20,ooo,cxx).  The  province  is  ^joverned  similarly  to  the 
others.  The  chief  cities  arc  Victoria,  the  capital,  on  Vancouver's  Island,  and 
Westminster,  the  seat  of  an  Anglican  bishop. 


CITY   OF   VICTORIA. 

ICTORIA,  the  capital  city  of  the  Province  of  Hritish  Colum!)ia,  is 
situated  at  the  southern  extremity  of  Vancouver's  Islam!,  in  lati- 
tude 48°  27'  north,  and  longitude  123  25'  west.  The  cit\  stretches 
about  three-quarters  of  a  mile  around  the  harbor,  is  lighted  by  gas,  and  since 
1864  has  been  provided  with  water  brought  from  excellent  springs  by  service 
pipes.  The  streets  are  regularly  laid  out,  crossing  each  other  at  right  angles, 
most  of  them  sixty  feet  wide,  with  macadamized  roads,  antl,  generally,  wooden 
sidewalks.  The  harbor  accommodates  vessels  drawing  sixteen  feet  of  water; 
vessels  of  deeper  draft  find  ample  anchorage  in  the  neighboring  and  more 
important  harbor  of  Esquimalt,  which  is  on  the  south  coast  of  the  island, 
about  forty  miles  inside  the  entrance  to  the  Straits  of  St.  Juan  ile  P'uca, 
which  separate  the  island  on  the  south  from  the  mainlanil.  This  harbor  is 
four  miles  from  Victoria  by  land  and  three  by  water,  and  connected  with  it 
by  a  broad  and  substantial  road.  A  Hritish  naval  station  and  an  imperial 
dock-yard  have  been  established  at  the  harbor,  and  elaborate  fortifications 
have  been  projected  for  the  protection  of  the  capital  and  the  harbor,  which 
is  large  enough  to  hold  all  the  men-of-war  that  usually  comprise  the  British 
American-Pacific  squadron. 

Victoria  contains  numerous  government  buildings  both  of  stone,  brick, 
and  wood,  a  theatre,  public  library  and  reading  room,  hospital,  police  and 
military  barracks,  breweries,  foundries,  a  tannery,  magnificent  hotels,  and 
many  large  brick  and  stone  warehouses  and  stores.  The  educational  and 
religious  institutions  embrace  Church  of  England,  Roman  Catholic,  Congre- 
gational, Presbyterian,  Methodist,  and  Jewish  churches,  with  elementary, 
grammar,  and  higher  grade  schools  under  tiieir  control.  The  climate  is 
moist,  cool,  and  generally  delightful.     Large   quantities  of  gold,  from   the 


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THE   DOMINION   (^F   CANADA. 


Frascr  River  mines,  coal,  timber,  dried  fisii,  and  furs,  are  annually  exported 
and  much  of  the  imports,  chiefly  manufactureil  jjoods,  machinery,  agricultural 
and  iiousehohl  implements,  are  received  by  way  of  Portland,  Or.,  and  Sati 
I'Vancisco.  When  Vancouver's  Island  united  with  British  Columbia,  Vic 
toria  and  New  VV^estminster  were  rival  aspirants  for  the  capital  seat,  and  thr 
former  was  chosen  by  popular  vote  at  the  suggestion  of  Queen  Victoria, 
population,  1881,  5,925. 


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THE  NORTHWEST  TERRITORIES. 

HK  larj^est  province  in  the  Dominion  comprises  the  vast  region 
stretching  north  from  the  provinces  already  described  to  the  Arc- 
tic Ocean,  extends  a  length  of  about  J. 500  miles,  witii  a  breadth  of 
1.5CX:),  and  was  estimated  in  1S81  to  have  an  area  of  2,934,cxx)  scpiare  miles,  ami 
a  population  of  only  56,446,  mostly  Inilians.  It  is  larger  than  the  whole  of 
Europe,  excepting  Russia,  and  the  greater  part  of  the  whole  region  is  barren 
waste. 

What  is  called  "the  fertile  belt"  stretches  960  miles  from  east  to  west, 
with  an  average  breadth  of  250  miles,  and  comprising,  therefore,  240,(XX) 
square  miles.  At  least  one-fourth  of  this  land  has  been  ascertained  to  possess 
a  very  rich  and  deep  soil,  capable  of  growing  an  abundance  of  wheat,  barley, 
potatoes,  and  all  roots  and  green  crops  produced  by  the  English  agricultur 
ist,  while  it  is  equally  adapted  to  stock  raising.  In  188 1  the  land  occupied 
amounted  to  314,107  acres,  and  improved,  28,833.  The  timber  product  was 
109,873  cubic  feet,  and  the  value  of  the  fur  trade  $428,177,     The  region  was 

l)urchased  by  the  Dominion  government  from  the  Hudson  liay  Company  in 
1870. 

In  1875  an  act  was  passed  vesting  the  government  in  a  Lieutenant-gover- 
nor and  a  council  of  five,  of  which  the  stipendary  magistrates  should  be  e.\- 
ofificio  members,  and  in  1882  a  portion  was  divided  into  four  districts,  Assin- 
iboia,  with  95,000  square  miles;  Saskatchewan,  the  "fertile  belt,"  114,000: 
Alberta,  100,000;  and  Athabasca,  122,000.  The  law  of  1875  provided  that 
as  soon  as  districts  of  1,000  square  miles  should  contain  a  population  of  1,000, 
e.xclusive  of  aliens  and  Indians,  they  were  to  be  con.^^'.tituted  electoral  districts, 
and  return  a  member  to  the  council.  Forty-four  churches  and  a  school  pop- 
ulation of  578  were  reported  in  1881,     Capital  Regina. 


ISLAND  OF   NEWFOUNDLAND. 

LTHOUGII  this  island  was  independent  of  the  Dominion  jfovern- 
nieiit  and  constituted  a  province  of  (jreat  Hritain,  in  iSSS  a  move- 
nient  was  ofTicially  inau^'iirated  by  its  authorities  to  secure  a 
political  union  with  the  Dominion  in  the  summer  of  that  year;  and,  as  at  the 
tiiiK'  of  writing'  all  indications  ^'ave  assurance  of  tiie  consummation  of  the 
proposed  act,  the  country  is  here  treated  as  if  it  were  at  the  time  a  sister 
province  of  the  Dominion.  It  is  situateil  in  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  at  the  mouth 
of  the  (iulf  of  St.  Lawrence,  is  separated  from  Labrador  by  the  Straits  of 
Helle  Isle,  and  lies  between  latitude  46'^  38'  and  51"  if  north,  and  lon^'itude 
5J  44'  and  59"  30'  west.  It  has  an  extreme  length  of  370  miles,  width  290, 
circumference  of  about  1,000,  and  area  of  42,000  square  miles,  and  had  an 
estimated   population  of  185,000  in  1885, 

The  entire  vXtlantic  coast  of  Labrador,  1,100  miles  in  extent,  is  attached 
to  Newfoundland  and  under  its  jurisdiction.  The  island  has  what  is  known 
geologically  as'an  "iron-bound"  coast,  rising  frequently  in  bold,  lofty  preci- 
pices, vertically,  or  nearly  so  from  the  sea.  The  outer  exterior  is  mountain- 
ous, but  the  interior  is  a  vast  elevated  and  undulating  plateau,  with  ranges  of 
minor  hills  alternating  with  shallow  valleys.  One  range  of  extremely  rugged 
and  desolate  hills,  reaching  at  many  parts  an  elevation  of  upward  of  2,500 
feet,  extends  diagonally  across  the  island. 

The  coast  is  deeply  indented  with  large  bays  and  inlets,  the  most  promt-, 
neiit  of  which  are  I'lacentia  Hay,  having  a  width  at  its  mouth  of  fifty-five 
miles  and  extending  ninety  miles  inland;  Fortune  Bay,  twenty-five  miles 
wide  and  seventy  miles  extension;  St.  George  Bay,  forty  miles  wide;  Notre 
Dame  Bay,  fifty  miles  wide  and  with  arms  reaching  inland  in  some  places  a 
distance  of  eighty  miles;  and  Trinity  Bay,  with  inland  extension  of  seventy 
miles.  The  largest  river  is  the  Exploits,  which,  after  a  course  of  200  miles, 
falls  into  Exploits  and  Notre  Dame  bays,  and  drains  an  area  of  over  3,000 
s(|uare  miles.  Its  upper  waters,  in  two  minor  branches,  flow  into  Red  Indian 
Lake,  which  has  an  area  of  sixty-nine  square  miles,  and  is  468  feet  above  the 
sea  level.  The  second  river  in  importance  is  the  H umber,  which  drains  an 
area  of  2,000  square  miles,  and  falls  into  the  Bay  of  Islands.  This  river  ex- 
pands in  several   places  into  lakes  of  considerable  size,  notably  the  Grand 


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614 


THE    DOMINION   OK   CANADA: 


Pond,  which  has  a  surface  area  of  192  square  miles  and  includes  an  islaiul  of 
fifty-six  square  miles.  The  third  river  in  size  is  the  Gander,  which  (lr,iin^ 
2,600  square  miles,  flows  through  a  lake  of  the  same  name,  possessing  a  sur- 
face area  of  forty-four  square  miles,  and  falls  into  Gander  Bay. 

Nearly  one-third  the  entire  surface  of  the  island  is  occupied  by  its  lakes, 
which,  in  general  arc  well  stocked  with  trout.  But  very  little  of  the  soil  is 
productive  agriculturally.  The  fisheries  always  have  been  and  doubtless 
always  will  be  the  chief  industry  of  the  inhabitants.  The  known  miiu.Mal 
wealth  embraces  gold,  silver,  copper,  lead,  marble,  limestone,  coal,  and  gxp- 
sum.  Of  these,  the  copper  deposits  are  the  most  industriously  and  profitably 
worked.  The  first  mine  was  opened  in  1864  at  Tilt  Co\e,  on  the  shore  of 
Notre  Dame  Bay ;  a  second  was  discovered  at  Betts  Cove,  in  the  same  (li> 
trict,  in  1875;  and  the  third  at  Little  Bay  in  1878.  The  total  exjjort  of  nictal 
from  these  mines  up  to  1879  amounted  in  value  to  $4,629,889.  In  1880  goll 
was  discovered  in  quartz  veir.s  in  the  region  of  Brigus,  Conception  Bay.  Sir 
Alexander  Murray,  the  official  geologist,  made  a  thorough  examination  <! 
the  locality,  and  pronounced  the  indications  favorable  for  systematic  minin,;, 
whereupon  New  York  and  Boston  capitalists  invested  nearly  $2,000,000  in  th. 
auriferous  fields.  The  climate  is  healthy,  but  variable.  Dense  fogs  i)revail 
in  the  vicinity  of  the  island,  which,  with  violent  gales,  frequently  render  tlu: 
coast  very  dangerous  to  navigation. 

Newfoundland  and  its  vicinity  constitute  the  greatest  cod-fishing  region 
of  the  world.  The  Grand  Banks,  which  form  the  greatest  submarine  island 
on  the  globe,  having  a  length  of  from  600  to  700  miles  and  a  width  of  200,  at 
a  depth  of  from  ten  to  150  fathoms,  seem  to  have  been  the  original  home  of 
this  fish.  The  value  of  the  annual  catch  of  this  fish  alone  a\erages  $6,2 jca^), 
and  the  exjjorts  reach  1,250,000  quintals  of  i  12  i)ounds  each.  Next  to  th; 
the  most  important  fishery  is  the  seal,  of  which  anywhere  from  300,000  tn 
550,000  will  be  taken  in  a  single  season,  representing  an  average  of  §1,026, Si )() 
in  market  value.  The  herring  fisheries  will  average  §581,543  in  value  per 
annum,  the  salmon  $114,505,  and  the  lobster  $104,000. 

The  government  is  vested  in  a  governor  appointed  bj'  the  British  so\er- 
eign  rm  executive  council  of  seven  members  chosen  by  the  dominant  party 
in  the  Ir-gislature,  a  legislative  council  of  fifteen  members  holding  office  for 
life,  and  a  house  of  assembly  comprising  thirty-three  members  elected  for  a 
I)eriod  of  four  years.  There  are  also  the  usual  judicial  officers  and  courts. 
Tlie  right  of  suffrage  is  extended  to  all  male  subjects  over  twenty-one  yea--- 


HER    PROVINCES   AND   PRINCIPAL   CITIES. 


615 


of  age  who  have  occupied  domiciles  for  two  years.  PoHtically  the  island  is 
divided  into  seventeen  electoral  districts.  The  public  debt  amounted  to 
$1,351,000  in  1883;  the  revenue  of  that  year  was  $1,369,909;  the  value  of  im- 
ports, chiefly  provisions  and  manufactures,  $6,863,708;  and  of  exports,  mainly 
fish,  $8,200,00.  No  official  discrimination  is  made  between  the  various  relig- 
ious denominations;  the  Roman  Catholic  has  the  largest  membership,  and  is 
followed  by  the  Church  of  England,  Wesleyan,  Presbyterian,  and  Congrega- 
tional churches.  Education,  being  fostered  by  the  government,  is  brought 
within  the  r'  ich  of  all  classes.  It  is  arranged  on  the  denominational  system, 
and  the  government  makes  an  annual  division  of  about  $100,000  among  all 
denominations,  according  to  their  respective  mev^bers.  Besides  many  private 
anil  strictly  denominational  schools,  there  were  in  1885,  416  public  elementary 
schools,  with  24,292  pupils,  four  academies,  with  674  students,  and  two  high- 
grade  grammar  schools.  The  population  was  estimated  that  year  at  185,000, 
of  whom  30,000  were  engaged  in  fishing  and  24,000  more  in  other  bra'  '  es  of 
that  industry.     The  capital  is  St.  John's. 


CITY   OF   ST.   JOHN'S. 

T.  JOHN'S  is  a  cit)-  and  the  capital  of  the  Island  of  Newfoundland, 
situated  on  the  east  coast  of  the  island.  The  city  is  2.000  miles 
from  Lixerpool.  540  from  Halifax,  and  900  from  Quebec.  It  has 
an  excellent  harbor,  which  is  well  fortified.  Being  the  nearest  port  in 
America  to  Galway.  Ireland  (distance,  1,650  miles),  St.  John's  has  acquired 
importance  in  the  commercial  and  political  world  in  connection  with  steam 
navigation  between  the  two  continents.  It  has  suffered  severely  from  re- 
peated conflagrations;  in  1846  it  was  more  than  half  destroyed. 

At  the  entrance  to  the  harbor  are  the  Narrows;  on  the  north  side  of  the 
Narrows  is  a  cliff  over  300  feet  high ;  back  and  above  it  is  Signal  Hill,  520 
feet  above  the  sea  level.  On  the  other  side  of  the  Narrows  is  a  hill,  650  feet 
above  the  sea,  on  which  is  a  lighthouse.  The  Narrows  will  admit  only  one 
vessel  at  a  time.  The  latter  ri<lge  of  hills  extends  into  the  interior  for  miles. 
The  city  is  built  of  brick,  and  is  well  situated  on  sloping  ground  on  both  sides 
of  the  harbor.  Bridges  and  causeways  connect  the  north  and  south  sides. 
Over  1,200  vessels,  having  a  tonnage  (^f  250,000,  enter  the  harbor  annually. 


\     ' 

i       ■ 

i 


:; 


;'  * 


li 


ri 


1  ' 

h 


I  : 
I' 
IJ 


U  >■:■' 


6i6 


THE   DOMINION   OF   CANADA. 


There  arc  a  dry-dock  and  marine  railway.  The  business  portion  of  the  city 
is  solid  and  substantial.  It  has  several  banks,  12  churches,  a  number  of  con- 
vents, 20  insurance  companies,  various  societies,  benevolent  organisations, 
academies,  colleges,  theological  institutions,  a  medical  society,  an  athen.Lnini, 
two  libraries,  13  newspapers,  and  two  fine  cathedrals  (one  each,  Roniiin 
Catholic  and  Episcopal).  Among  the  public  buildings  of  note  are  the  (io\ . 
ernment-house,  the  residence  of  the  Governor,  which  cost  $250,000,  the  As 
sembly  building,  the  Court-house,  the  Public  Hospital,  and  Market-house. 
The  Allan  line  of  European  steamers  has  extensive  wharves  at  this  cit\. 
The  manufactures  consist  chiefly  of  ship-bread,  furniture,  boots  and  shoes, 
iron-ware,  and  nets.  The  city  has  large  storehouses,  distilleries,  tanneries, 
breweries,  refineries,  block  factories,  and  steam  seal-oil  works.  A  large  trade 
is  done  in  exporting  oil,  seal,  and  cod.  Its  principal  business  is  connccteil 
with  the  fisheries.  It  receives  the  large  imports  of  the  colony.  Population 
in  1874,  25,000;   l88y,  42,320. 


^J=i^. 


f%     r^     f^ 


MEXICO; 

The  Republic,  the  Capital  and  Seaport;  with  other  Places 
of  Interest,  Picturesque  and  Historic. 


EXICO  as  a  country  presents  a  more  interesting  and  fascinating 
study  than  any  other  on  the  American  continent.  It  has  ex- 
treme age  for  the  antiquarian ;  remains  of  long  extinct  dynasties, 
forms  of  government  and  peoples  for  the  archzeologist ;  a  progression  through 
incalculable  bloodshed  from  the  picturesque  empirj  of  the  Aztecs  to  the 
republic,  exhibiting  in  some  parts  the  civilization,  culture  and  spirit  of  ad- 
vancement of  the  nineteenth  century,  and  in  others  much  of  the  turbulence 
of  revolutionary  da)s,  for  the  historian  and  political  economist ;  a  volume 
cf  heroic  suffering;,  persecution,  ceremonial  grandeur,  spoliation,  and  ulti- 
mate toleration  foi  the  ecclesiastic;  a  grand  record  of  martial  daring  and 
achievement  for  the  military  critic ;  all  followed  by  an  era  of  remarkable 
jjrosperity— a  fitting  sequel  to  its  centuries  of  unrest — for  the  student  of 
contemporary  progress.  In  all  the  multiplicity  of  historical  associations, 
both  the  country  and  city  possess  an  enduring  interest  to  all,  and  especially 
to  citizens  of  the  United  States,  once  their  masters  by  the  stern  arbitrament 
nf  war,  now  their  friends  by  close  political,  social,  and  material  ties. 

THE    REPUBLIC. 

Mexico  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  the  United  States,  on  the  east  by 
the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  on  the  south  by  Central  America  and  the  Pacific  Ocean, 
and  on  the  west  by  the  Pacific  Ocean.  It  has  a  northern  frontier  line  of 
1,400  miles,  a  southern  of  345,  and  a  seacoast  of  6,086;  an  area  of  748,144 
square  miles;  and  a  population  officially  computed  in  1886  at  10,460,636, 
of  which  1,985,117  were  white  natives,  European  and  American  residents, 
3,970,000  pure  Indians,  and  t'"e  remainder  half-breeds.  In  1889  its  political 
divisions   embraced    twenty-seven    states,   two    territories,   and    one    federal 


ri 

I 

; 


iH 


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I  ■■} 


6i8 


THE    REPUBLIC   OF   MEXICO: 


')!'■  ■;:■■ 


district.  The  chief  cities  with  their  population  were:  Mexico,  the  cai)- 
ital,  300,000;  Guadalajara,  80,000;  Pueblo,  75,000;  Guanajuato,  52,000; 
Merida,  40,000;  San  Louis  Potosi,  35,000;  Queretaro  and  Zacatecas,  each 
30.000:  Oajaca,  28,000;  Coliina,  26,251;  Saltillo,  26,000;  Vera  Cru/  and 
^lorelia,  each  24,000;  and  Aguascalientes,  22,000.  In  the  same  j-ear  the 
federal  army  consist(;d  of  18,894  men  and  1.741  officers.  The  navy  was 
limited  to  four  gun-boats.  The  national  debt,  foreign  and  domestic,  in  1886 
amounted  to  $162,737,650;  the  revenues  of  that  year  aggregated  $30,625,000, 
of  which  $20,000,000  were  from  customs  duties;  and  the  expenditures  were 
$26,390,324.  one-third  of  which  went  to  the  support  of  the  army.     Recent 

operations  in  developing 
the  long-needed  railroad 
system  of  the  country  had, 
in  1889,  given  to  thirty- 
eight  lines  a  total  length  of 
3,703  miles,  and  the  tele- 
graph, including  govern- 
ment, railroad,  and  private 
lines,  exerted  its  magic  in- 
fluence over  19,027  miles. 
The  commercial  relations 
with  the  United  States  for 
the  four  years  prior  to  1887 
show  a  very  large  volume 
of  business.  The  exports 
M...MCA.N  Ai.oiii:  si;.  from  the  United  States  to 

Mexico  were  valued  at  $14,370,902  (1883);  $11,089,603  (1884);  $7,370,599 
(18S5I;  and  $6,586,077  (1886);  while  the  imports  into  the  United  States  from 
Mexico  were  $8,177,128  (1883);  $9,016,486  (1884);  $9,267,021  (  1885);  and 
$10,087,972  (1886) 

The  government  of  the  republic  is  founded  on  a  constitution  similar  in 
♦lie  main  to  that  of  the  United  States,  but  which,  however,  has  been  laid  aside 
and  modified  and  amended  frequently.  The  executive  authority  is  vested  in 
a  president  chosen  by  electoral  colleges  every  four  years;  the  legislative  in  a 
congress  consisting  of  a  senate,  whose  members  are  elected  every  six  years, 
and  a  house  whose  deputies  serve  two  years;  and  the  judicial  by  a  variety  of 
judges,  those  of  the  supreme  court  being  elected  in  the  same  manner  as  the 


pr--i^ 


"TT*- 


HER   CAPITAL,    SEAl'ORT,    ETC. 


619 


xico,  the  cap- 
iju;it<i,  52,000; 
iacatecas,  each 
^cra  Cruz  and 
same  year  tlic 
The  navy  was 
mestic,  in  18X6 
ed  $30,625,000. 
enditures  were 
army.  Recent 
in     devehipini^r 

»eded     railroad 
le  country  had, 
ven    to    thirty- 
L  total  length  of 
,   and    the   tele- 
uding     govern- 
ad,  and  private 
;d  its   magic  in- 
r   19,027    miles, 
rcial    relations 
ted  States  for 
s  prior  to  i<S,S7 
large  volume 
The    exports 
ited   States  to 

H4);  $7,370,599 
ted  States  from 

21    ( 1885);  and 

ition  similar  in 
been  laid  aside 

ity  is  vestetl  in 
legislative  in  a 

very  six  years, 
by  a  variety  of 
manner  as  the 


president  but  for  terms  of  six  years,  while  those  of  inferior  courts  are  ap- 
pointed 'ly  the  president  and  governors  of  states  or  chosen  by  local  elections. 
By  virtue  of  his  office  the  chief  justice  of  the  supreme  court  is  vice-president 
of  the  republic  f.r  officio.  The  state  and  territorial  governments  are  created 
and  conducted  for  the  most  part  like  those  in  the  United  States,  though  as  a  rule 
the  governors  are  military  men  and  in  sympathy  with  the  policy  of  the  chief 
executive.  Since  the  restoration  of  the  republic,  after  Maximilian's  short 
and  sad  reign  of  imperialism,  the  government  has  extended  liberal  aid  to  the 
cause  of  education.  As  a  result  there  were  in  1886,  8,905  public  schools  and 
colleges,  with  an  attendance  of  over  500,900  pupils,  besides  innumerable  private 
ones.  The  former  include  special  schools  of  law,  medicine,  music,  agriculture, 
engineering,  mines,  fine  arts,  the  sciences,  literature,  and  military  tactics,  sup- 
ported by  the  general  government  in  place  of  the  famous  University  of 
Mexico,  founded  in  the  sixteenth  century  and  conducted  by  religious  teachers, 
which  it  abolished  in  1856.  The  different  states  also  maintain  excellent 
common  schools  throughout  their  jurisdiction,  and  high  schools  in  their  capi- 
tals. The  deaf,  the  dumb,  and  the  blind  are  likewise  adequately  provided 
for,  and  there  are  many  noble  charitable  and  reformatory  institutions. 

In  the  exercise  of  religious  worship  the  people  of  Mexico  are  now  per- 
mitteti  to  follow  their  choice  of  form  without  molestation  of  any  kind.  In 
this  respect  the  changes  of  the  last  half  century  have  been  very  marked. 
Formerly  the  Roman  Catholic  faith  was  the  only  one  tolerated  in  the  country, 
and  was  the  religion  of  the  state,  e\en  in  early  republican  days.  At  one  time 
the  Catholic  Church,  which  sprang  from  the  missions  of  the  early  Spanish 
fathers,  owned  nearly  one-third  the  entire  soil  with  all  its  wealth  of  minerals. 
During  the  period  of  1856  and  1859  what  'ire  known  as  the  "laws  of  reform" 
were  enacted.  These  virtually  confiscated  to  the  government  all  the  landed 
I)ri>perty  of  the  bishops  and  priests,  closed  the  convents  and  schools,  and  led 
to  the  sale  and  conversion  to  public  use  of  all  ecclesiastical  buildings  which  the 
authorities  then  considereil  superfluous.  The  constitution  adopted  in  1857 
recognized  the  equal  right  of  all  denominations  to  hold  religious  services  in 
their  individual  forms,  and  put  an  end  to  all  sectarian  distinctions.  Between 
iS(')9anl  1881  Protestant  missionary  work  resulted  in  the  establishment  in 
the  caj)ital  city  of  fifty-six  churches  with  10,000  communicants,  seventeen 
Suiulay  schools  with  963  scholar?,  twelve  day  schools  with  465  students,  a 
girls'  normal  college,  and  a  theological  seminary.  The  dominant  religion, 
however,  is  still  the  Roman  Catholic,  and  it  had  in  1889  three  archbishoprics 


■■A 


V. 


p     ; 

1 

1    / 

1 

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i 

i1' 

ii 

1 

/\ll 


l^;-^' 

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.re:V 

t^lNt.. 

ij  ■■"•.''• 

■  -is.- 

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1  ?   ■    ;'t„ 

■'■•'   -.^s 

p 

n 

^^^^     .41 

620 


THE    REPUBLIC   OF   MEXICO; 


and  twelve  bishoprics.  The  "Church  of  Jesus,"  an  organization  modekd 
somewhat  upon  the  general  plan  of  the  American  Protestant  Episcop.il 
Church,  but  professing  to  be  undenominational  in  its  tenets  and  operation., 
was  founded  by  the  Rev.  Henry  Chauncey  Riley,  D.D.,  in  1868.  To  aid  lim, 
in  his  work  the  government  placed  at  his  disposal  the  magnificent  scquc  .- 
trated  Church  of  St.  Joseph,  and  the  chapel  of  the  famous  Church  of  San 
Francisco,  both  in  tlie  City  of  Mexico;  and  by  1884  he  had  established  frntv 
nine  churches,  nine  day  schools,  and  two  orphanages.  He  was  consecratid 
Bishop  of  the  Mexican  Church  of  Jesus  at  Pittsburg,  Penn.,  in  June,  1879,  by 
seven  bishops  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church. 

Mexico  is  exceedingly  rich  in  natural  resources,  the  chief  of  whicli  .n..' 
silver  and  gold,  the  former  being  distinctively  the;  staple  production.     Tl 


IIUM-C 


are  eleven  notable  mines  in  the  country,  the  oldest  of  which — opened  in  ij^S 
— is  in  IMexico  City.  Careful  recc  rds  of  the  annual  production  of  tlir 
precious  metals  have  been  preserved  since  1537,  and  show  that  between  that 
year  and  1880  the  gold  and  silver  mines  alone  yielded  a  supply  valued  at 
$3,1 10,000,000.  Near  the  close  of  the  eighteenth  century  Humboldt  estiinattd 
that  a  single  mine,  that  of  Veta  Madre,  in  Guanajuato,  produced  one-fiftli  nl 
the  silver  then  current  in  the  world.  A  mine  in  Zacatecas  yielded  §3,000,0(10 
per  annum  for  many  years  successively,  and  those  of  .San  .  uis  Potosi  tlu 
enormous  sum  of  $150,000,000  in  a  period  of  seventy-seven  years.  And  still 
the  supply  of  silver  seems  to  be  practically  illimitable.  Others  of  the  precious 
metals  abountl  in  corresponding  prodigality.  The  Cerro  del  Mercado  is  a 
solid  mountain  of  magnetic  iron  ore;  copper  associated  with  gold  and  lead 
with  silver  are  found  in  considerable  quantities  in  many  states;  and  numerous 
mines  of  the  red  sulphuret  of  mercury  or  cinnabar  are  now  being  operatid 
more  freely  than  before,  on  account  of  the  great  demand  for  and  high  price 
of  quicksilver.  Among  other  material  resources  of  value  are  granite,  marble, 
al.'.baster,  gypsum,  sulphur,  and  rock  salt.  Pearls  are  plentiful  in  the  Gulf  of 
California,  and  the  richest  amber  is  found  on  the  coasts  of  Yucatan. 

Mexico  has  also  a  large  agricultural  wealth,  susceptible  of  development 
far  beyond  its  present  state.  Cotton  is  produced  in  the  states  of  Coaluiil.i, 
Durango,  and  Sinaloa;  tobacco  in  southern  Vera  Cruz  and  Tabasco;  cocoa 
in  Tabasco,  Oaxaca,  and  Soconusco;  coffee  in  Michoacan  and  Colinia;  and 
the  most  nutritious  grasses,  which  feed  innumerable  herds  of  cattle,  droves 
of  horse  ,  and  flocks  of  sheep,  are  spread  over  nearly  all  the  northern  states. 
Indian  corn,  the  staple  food  from  aboriginal  days,  wheat,  barley,  rice,  sugar- 


III 


:ation  modch  o 
tant  Episc()i),il 
ind  operaliiiii  , 
i8.  To  aid  hini 
lificcnt  sctiui  .- 
Church  of  Sim 
tabhshcd  fnitv- 
.•as  consccratid 
1  June,  iSytj,  \>y 

;f   of  which   ail.' 
.kiction.     Th;rr 
-opened  in  1 5  iS 
iduction   of    the 
lat  between  tli.it 
ipply  valued    it 
iboldt  estimated 
iced  one-fiftli  i>\ 
elded  $3,000,000 
uis  I'otosi  thf 
ears.     Antl  still 
of  the  precious 
Mercado  is  a 
gold  and  had 
and  numerous 
being  operated 
and  high  price 
granite,  marble, 
1  in  the  Gulf  of 
catan. 

of  development 
es  of  Coahuiia, 
Tabasco;  coco.i 
d  Colima;  and 
f  cattle,  droves 
northern  states. 
ley,  rice,  sugar- 


11 


HER   CAPITAL,    SEAPORT,    ETC. 


621 


'•/TiL 


cane,  oranges,  lemons,  bananas,  pineapples,  and  grapes  grow  almost  without 
cultivation,  so  rich  is  the  soil  of  the  table-lands,  plateaus,  and  central  valley^. 
The  employment  of  American  methods  and  machinery  has  wrought  wonder- 
ful changes  in  the  agricultural  development  of  the  country,  and  <.Mven  an 
earnest  of  what  might  be  accomplished  in  a  few  years  b)-  a  judicious  and 
liberal  ajjplication  of  forces,  now  only  beginning  to  be  understood  and  appre- 
ciated. 

The  history  of  Mexico  as  a  country  is  so  unusually  complex  and  volumi- 
nous that  but  little  more  than  a  mere  chronology  can  here  be  given.  On  his 
last  voyage  Columbus  approached  the 
peninsula  of  Yucatan,  but  does  not  seem 
to  have  come  within  sight  of  it.  Cordova 
discovered  the  peninsula  in  1 5 17,  and 
two  years  later  Cortez  landed  on  the  site 
of  the  present  Vera  Cruz,  ascended  the 
t  a  b  1  e-1  a  n  d  s 
and  was  sur- 
prised to  find 
the  interior 
numerously 
iidiabited  by 
Aztecs,  over 
whom  Monte 


was  reigning  as  emperor,  and 
independent  republics.  Tempted 
by    Cordova's    accounts    of    the 


/unia,  a  pow- 
erful chief, 
also  several 
to  CO  n  q  uest 

richness  of  the  country,  Cortez  kept  up  a  continuous  warfare  for  tv"?  years, 
and  then  succeeded  in  overturning  the  Aztec,..einpire.  From  that  time  till 
1820  Mexico  constituted  a  color  of  Spain,  though  it  was  subject  to  fre- 
ijuent  revolutiotis,  and  at  one  time,  18 13,  a  national  assembly  was  formed  and 
the  independence  of  the  country  declared.  Early  in  1820  Spain  became  dis- 
tracted with  her  own  internal  affairs,  and  while  endeavoring  to  effect  a  union 
between  the  royalists  and  constitutionalists,  Don  Augustin  de  Iturbide,  on 
the  pretense  of  desiring  to  establish  the  independence  of  the  country  and 
yet  preserve  a  union  with  Spain,  gained  possession  of  the  capital,  summoned 
a  congress,  and  had  himself  proclaimed  Emperor  of  Mexico  under  the  title 


.i  \ 


I 


'*'     1 


622 


THE    Ri:i»UHLIC   OF    MEXICO; 


mm 


:\r: 


.'  I 


of  Aii<^ustin  I.  His  sovereignty  lasted  from  ]\Iay  i8,  1822,  till  March,  18:^, 
vliLii  the  army  rose  against  him,  and  he  abdicated  and  fled  to  Europe 
Shortly  afterward  the  country  was  declared  a  republic,  and  a  constitutiim 
substantially  like  that  of  the  United  States  adopted.  Iturbide  attenipUil 
to  regain  his  throne  by  an  uprising  in  1824,  but  was  captured  and  shot.  The 
republic  was  "  proclaimed  "  by  Gen.  Santa  Anna  at  Vera  Cruz  in  Decnii- 
ber,  1822,  and  under  the  title  of  constitutional  president  he  became  \irtii- 
all\'  dictator.  From  thence  till  the  overthrow  of  his  fifth  dictatorsln'ii, 
August,  1855,  the  countr)'  was  rended  by  revolutions,  had  an  expensive  u.n 
with  the  United  States,  and  possessed  no  stable  or  even  respectable  goxci!!- 
ment. 

The  "  plan  of  Ayutla  "  was  adopted  1855,  a  constituent  convention  was  lii M 
1856.  and  it  promulgated  a  constitution,  February  3,  1857,  which  with  subsf- 


Th 


e   war   o 


f   ref 


oriii 


mal 


I). ill 


quent  amendments,  forms  the  present  general  law, 
already  alluded  to,  en.-iued,  a  struggle  between  the  adherents  of  the  Natii 
or  Roman  Catholic,  Church,  the  army,  and  the  aristocracy.  The  countr\- 
scarcely  recovered  from  its  surjjrise  over  the  suppression  anil  confiscation  (jf 
the  ecclesiastical  property  and  buildings,  when  the  period  of  I'^rench  inti  r- 
vention  opened,  antl  was  followed  by  the  brief  and  luckless  reign  of  the  Aus- 
trian Arv'rhduke  Maximilian  as  sovereign  (^f  the  Empire  of  Mexico.  Dur 
this  period,  1861-67,  Henito  Juarez,  an  Indian,  as  constitutional  presidint, 
directed  the  successful  resistance  to   imperiali 


111'. 


sm. 


lis   service   as   presuUiU 


was  extcndctl  from  December,  1857,  till  his  death  in  July,  1872,  and  much  "i 
the  present  jirosperit)'  of  the  countr)-  is  due  to  his  firmness,  liberal  idea--, 
sound  statesmanship,  and  prescience.     He  was  succeeded  by  Lerilo  de  Te 


lad.i, 


and  he  in  turn 


b>' 


orhrio   J^iaz,  an   accomplisned  and   successful  genera 


ful 


the  army,  who,  after  a  highly  creditable  service  as  president,  was  honored  will 
a  second  re-election  in  July,  1888. 


.,i^- 


CITY   OF    MEXICO. 

EXICO  City  comprises  what  is  known  politically  as  the  Federal 
District.  It  is  situated  in  latitude  19^  25'  45'  north,  and  loii^i- 
^  tude  99'  7'  8"  west  from  Greenwich,  built  upon  the  ruins  of  the 
ancient  Aztec  cajiital  and  at  an  elevation  of  about  7,500  feet  above  sua 
level.     It    is    divided    into    eight  sections,  having  in    1889   an    aggregate   of 


till  March,  i8:  , 
fled  to  EuroiK. 
l1  a  constitution 
rbitlc  attcmptia 
I  and  shot.  The 
Cruz  in  Dcccni- 
le  became  virtn- 
fth  dictatorslii'ii. 
m  expensive  w.ii- 
spectable  ^joveni- 

nvention  was  IkM 
khich  with  sub^ - 
;   war   of   refonu, 
s  of  the  National. 
The  country  li.ul 
ul  confiscation  nt 
of   French  intn- 
rei^n  of  the  Au>- 
Mexico.      Durini; 
tional  president, 
ice   as   president 
S72,  anil  much  >'i 
ess,  liberal    idia-, 
Lerdo  de  Teiatl.i, 
essful    L,feneral   cf 
was  honored  with 


■  ;is  the  Fediial 
north,  and   loni^i- 

the  ruins  of  tin' 
D    feet    above    sea 

an    aui?r«-"^;it^"   "^ 


hi:r  capital,  seatort,  i-:tc. 


G23 


304  streets  with  an  averai^e  width  of  forty  feet  each,  and  containin<^  7'^J79 
buildin<^s,  exclusive  of  i.overnmeiit,  public,  church,  and  charitable  structures, 
valued  at  $114,738,000,  as  well  as  7,047  buildings  in  which  its  commercial 
and  iiulustri.tl  mterests  were  carried  on,  and  ninety  [jublic  scpiares.  Tiie 
Presidential  Mansion,  formerly  the  palace  of  the  viceroys,  is  an  enormous 
building,  three  stories  hiyli,  500  feet  long  and  350  feet  wide,  and  is  built  on 
the  site  of  the  palace  of  Montezuma.  It  accommodates  nearl)'  all  the 
public  offices,  including;  those  of  the  heads  of  the  tlifferent  departments, 
and   the   senatorial    branch   of  the  congress.     The   most    notable   and    cun- 


n  lY   OK   MKXIcn. 


s])icuous  building  within  the  city  walls  is  the  famous  Roman  Catholic  Cathe- 
dral,  begun  in  1593  and  completed  sufficiently  to  be  dedicated  in  1677,  at 
a  cost  of  $1,757,000.  Subsequent  improvements  and  ornamentation  brought 
the  total  cost  up  to  $2,500,000.  Its  decorations,  grand  altars,  priceless  carv- 
ings, gold  and  silver  enrichments,  and  its  paintings  and  statuary,  render  it 
without  exception  the  most  gorgeous  ecclesiastical  structure  in  the  world. 
Among  the  other  buildings  which,  from  their  architectural  design,  historical 
association,  or  contents,  challenge  the  admiration  of  all  tourists,  are  those 
of  the  Mexican  Inquisition,  founded  in  1 571,  and  now  used  as  a  national 
medical  school;  the  custom  house;  the  convent  of  Santo  Domingo;  the 
National    Museum,  which   contains  a   unique    collection  illustrative   of   the 


I: 


f 

I'i.' 


M 


1 


I 


M:< 


624 


THE    REPUBLIC   OF   MEXICO; 


earliest  history  of  the  country,  embracing  an  original  sacrificial  stone  of  the 
Aztecs,  the  world-famous  Calendar  Stone,  and  a  statue  of  Huitzilopochtli  (if 
huge  pioporlions;  the  Academy  of  San  Carlos,  established  by  King  Chark:. 
III.,  of  Spain,  and  filled  vith  the  largest  and  most  costly  collection  of  paint- 
ings on  the  continent;  and  the  National  Library,  housed  in  the  ancient 
church  of  San  Augustin,  which  has  been  remodeled  by  the  government  at  ,1 
heavy  expense,  containing  upward  of  150,000  volumes. 

Of  the  ninety  public  squares  the  largest  and  most  beautiful  is  the  Plaza  dr 

■jjT  Armas,  which  is  800  feet 
long  by  600  feet  wide 
There  are  numerous  pleas- 
ure resorts  in  the  city,  of 
which  the  Passeo  de  Buca- 
reli,  or  public  drive,  is  tn 
Mexico  City  what  Ilydc 
Park  is  to  London,  the  Hois 
de  Boulogne  to  Paris,  and 
Central  Park  to  New  York. 
It  is  the  afternoon  resort 
of  the  wealth  and  fashion 
of  the  city.  Hundreds  of 
coaches  in  all  shapes  and 
forms,  as  well  as  hundretls 
of  gentlemen  on  horseback 
frequent  it  daily;  but  on 
Sundays  and  holidays  the 
drive  is  in  its  glory.  Mount- 
cm  kch  <)!•  SAN  iiD.Mi.Nc.o,  (iiv  (IK  MixKo.  cd  policcmcn  are  stationed 
excry  hundred  yards  to  maintain  v^rdcr  and  guard  against  accidents.  The  car- 
riages form  a  long  line,  going  up  on  one  side  and  down  the  other.  The  side- 
walks for  pedestrians  are  wide,  well  paved,  and  provided  with  carveil  stone 
Lenches  at  easy  intervals.  An  additional  attraction  is  given  them  by  two  rows 
of  trees  composed  of  the  eucalyptus,  or  fever  tree,  and  the  ash,  planted  alter- 
nately. The  drive  is  macadamized  its  entire  length,  and  the  centre  is  re- 
served for  equestrians.  The  promenade  extends  from  the  bronze  equestrian 
statue  of  Charles  IV.  to  the  castle  of  Chapultepec,  a  distance  of  3,750  yards; 
the  width,  including  walks,  is  170  feet.    It  contains  six  circular  spaces  400  feet 


ilF.R   CAPITAL,   SEATORT,    KTC. 


625 


in  (liuinctcr  for  mmninicnts  to  eminent  men.  In  tlie  first  is  a  magnificent 
bronze  and  marble  statue  of  Columbus,  and  in  the  second  a  monument  to 
Guatimozin,  the  last  Indian  emperor.  This  ^rand  drive  was  laid  out  by  the 
Emperor  Maximilian,  first,  to  secure  the  shortest  possible  route  to  C"hapulte- 
I)ec  for  military  purposes,  and,  second,  to  provide  one  of  the  most  beautiful 
drives  in  the  world.     The  Alameda  and  the   Passeo  de  la  Vi{,M  likewise  are 

tempting  resorts,  but  of 
less  fashionable  popu- 
larity. 

There  are  very  few 
small  houses  in  the  cit\-, 
nearly  all  bein<;  ver)-  com- 
modious though  not  tall, 
and  as  a  rule  each  one  is 
occupied  by  more  than 
one  famil)'.  In  the  princi- 
pal streets  the  houses  are 
usually  two  and  three 
stories  high.  The  wealth- 
iest families  rarely  occupy 
more  than  one  floor — the 
upper  one — and  often  not 
the  whole  of  that.  The 
best  three-stor\-  buildings 
generally  contain  from 
two  to  four  habitations; 
each  consists   of  a   whole 

tile  front  ground  floor  is  almost  invariably  used  by  commercial,  banking, 
or  other  business  establishments.  There  is  not  a  house  of  any  pretentions 
whatever  in  the  city  without  a  court,  on  the  ground  floor  of  which  are 
located  the  servants'  cpiarters,  coach  houses,  and  stables.  There  is  but  one 
door  on  the  lower  floor,  and  none  at  all  on  the  outside  of  the  upper  story. 
The  door  is  very  strongly  built,  and  the  opening  high  enough  for  a  coach  to 
j)ass  through.  It  opens  into  the  court,  through  which  inmates  pass  to  the 
stairway  leading  to  the  upper  story.  The  tenement  houses  occupy  large  areas, 
anil  are  built  on  much  the  same  plan,  with  but  one  door  leading  into  a  court. 


if 


GzC) 


TlIK    RlCrUHLIC   UF    MKXILO; 


:.1<' 


;iiul  from  whicli  each  occupant  has  entrance  to  Iiis  own  ajjartnient  on  the 
l^roiind  floor  or  tlie  j^aller)-  ahoxc,  whicli  runs  all  .irouiul  the  buililinij;.  In  the 
central  districts  these  houses  ^enerallj-  have  two  stories,  l)ut  as  a  rule  one 
only  when  built  at  a  distance  from  the  business  centre,  and  they  sometimes 
contain  as  many  as  fortj-  tlistinct  habitations. 

In  iS86,  the  business  establishments  of  the  city  inckuleil  1,072  cigar  and 
tobacco  stores,  889  grocery  stores,  670  pulcjue  stands,  514  licjuor  saloon>, 
390  restaurants,  275  butcher  shops,  190  bakeries.  144  grain  stores,  130  barber 
shops,  118  tailoring  establishments,  171   carpenter  shops,  174  shoe  stores,  88 


MERCHANTS     liAZAAR,    CITY   ni-    MIXIUI. 


blacksmith  shops,  79  drug  stores,  68  hardware  stores,  56  printing  ofifices,  55 
bath  houses,  72  dry-goods  stores,  48  chartered  and  private  banks,  and  46 
cafes.  There  were  also  nine  cotton,  seven  paper,  and  three  woolen  factories 
in  the  city  and  its  immediate  vicinity.  The  government  has  established  a 
National  Monte  de  Piedad,  or  pawn  shop,  and  in  addition  to  this  there  were 
73  others,  private,  with  a  joint  capital  of  $483,872.  During  the  latter  half  of 
1885,  these  pawnshops  loaned  the  sum  of  $1,333,796  on  various  kinds  of 
pledges,  on  which  an  average  interest  charge  of  121/  per  cent,  per  month 
was  paid. 

The  Municipal  Government  has  liberally  seconded  the  efforts  of  the  Federal 
to  provide  facilities  for  educating  all  its  youth  without  reference  to  color  or 


UKR   CAIMTAL,   SKAl'OKT,    KTC. 


627 


comlitiun  in  life.  TIk-  most  notable  institutions  arc  the  Acaflemy  of  Fine 
^\rts,  the  Mining,  Kiij^inecriii}^,  ami  Medical  schools,  and  the  Military,  I^.iw, 
Commercial,  and  A^'ricultiiral  collej,'es.  In  i(S,S6  the  various  schools  and 
collej^es  within  the  city  numbered  316.  with  713  male  and  469  female  teachers, 
and  an  averaj^e  daily  attentlance  of  i-,775  boys  and  10,385  j^irls,  or  23,1^)0 
pupils  in  all.  About  one-half  of  these  institutions  are  supported  bs'  the 
Federal  and  Municipal  Governments  at  an  annual  expense  of  §816,840,  and 
the  remainiler  are  private  en- 
terprises. 

In  the  line  of  local  transit 
the  city  had,  in-  1886.  thirty- 
two  lines  of  street  railroads, 
beside  eleven  others  which 
connected  with  the  outlyinfi; 
towns,  and  five  trunk  railroads 
entereil  it  from  different  di- 
rections. 

In  its  historical  phase  the 
city  is  more  interesting  than 
the  country,  because  of  its 
greater  antiquity.  It  stands 
near  the  northwestern  part 
of  the  valley  of  Mexico,  about 
four  miles  from  the  mountains 
in  the  direction  of  the  town 
of  Guadaloupe.  The  appear- 
ance of  the  valley  is  that  of 
an  oval  basin  surrounded  by 
mountains  of  every  degree  of  entrance  to  palace,  city  of  mfxico, 

elevation,  from  the  Piftolos,  or  little  rugged  promontories,  to  Popocatepetl, 
the  highest  peak  in  Mexico,  covered  with  perpetual  snow.  The  site  of  the 
city  was  chosen  by  a  barbarian  chieftain,  who  found  a  lake  (Texcoco),  in  the 
midst  of  which  was  a  slight  elevation  of  land  or  island,  large  enough  to  en- 
camp his  tribe  upon.  There  he  built  a  town  which  was  preserved  through  all 
the  wars  that  ensued  with  neighboring  nations  because  it  was  so  easily 
defended.  The  date  of  the  founding  of  the  town  is  given  as  1325,  and  it 
was  named  Tenochtitlan.     At  the  time  of  the  discovery  of  the  country  by  the 


n 


. 


'*g   5 


•i 


\ 

* 

I 

(    - 

ii 

J  It 


628 


THE    REPUBLIC   OF   MEXICO; 


111 

■■)'-! 


Spaniards,  it  was  a  rich,  flourishing,  populous,  and  active  city,  the  seat  of  gov- 
ernment and  of  religion.  As  pre\  iously  narrated  Cortez  landed  15 19.  For 
two  years  he  sought  the  conquest  of  the  city.  The  Aztecs  defended  it  stub- 
bornly, ('ortez  besieged  it  for  a  period  of  seventy-five  days,  but  the  hosts 
of  Mortezuma  held  out  till  the  invaders  had  almost  entirely  destroyed  the 
city.  As  building  after  bui'jni['  was  razed  the  fury  of  the  Spaniards  in- 
creased, and  it  was  only  after  they  had  completed  one  of  the  most  terrible 
slaughters  on  record  that  they  gained  absolute  possession  of  the  once  beauti- 
ful capital.  The  building  of  the  present  city  was  begun  about  1522,  and  it 
was  named  Mexico  from  Mcxitli,  the  tutelary  divinity  of  the  Aztecs. 


1 

m 

1 

ir-  ■■   "'  ' 

^Jk 

^ 

^ 

i 

"  i. 

ikitM.  . 

1, 

1 

Hi 

7 

It 

,■  1 

. ! 

?i 

'i 

^ 

^^ 

PALACK,    CriY    OK    MF.XUO. 

The  general  knowledge  of  the  early  condition  of  the  city  is  derived  in 
large  part  from  native  pictures  that  survived  the  destruction  of  Cortez. 
They  contained  chronological  histories,  which  had  been  prepared  and  pre- 
served with  the  greatest  care.  The  most  celebrated  one  of  all  was  lost,  but 
Humboldt  has  given  an  account  of  a  copy  of  it.  From  this  table  it  appears 
that  the  Toltecs  migrated  from  a  country  north  of  the  present  city  in  A.  D. 
544;  that  their  monarchy  was  destroyed;  that  the  Aztecs  arrived  there  from 
Aztlan  in  1178;  and  that  they  founded  Tenochtitlan.  the  predecessor  of  the 
City  of  Mexico,  in  1325.  From  1522  onward  the  history  of  the  city  and 
country  has  been  so  interwoven  and  so  essentially  identical  that  the  outline  of 
the  country,  already  given,  will  sufifice  for  a  more  detailed  historical  account 
of  the  capital.     Population,  1889,  300,ocx). 


le  seat  of  gov- 
ed  1 5 19.     For 
fended  it  stub- 
but  the  hosts 
destroyed  the 
Spaniards  in- 
most terrible 
;e  once  beauti- 
it   1522,  and  it 
ztecs. 


CITY  OF  VERA  CRUZ. 


'  is  derived  in 
on  of  Cortez. 
lared  and  prc- 
II  was  lost,  but 
;ble  it  appears 
It  city  in  A.  1). 
ed  there  from 
lecessor  of  the 
F  the  city  and 
:  the  outHne  of 
orical  account 


ERA  CRUZ, 

the  chief 
seaport 
and  commercial  city 
in    Mexico,  is  situ- 
ated on  the  coast  of 
the  Gulf  in  latitude 
If/'    11'    56"   north, 
and    longitude   06° 
8'    7,6"  west,  and  is 
190    miles    south 
by  souther.   .  of  the     ^ 
City   of   M  exic  o;     S 
population    1889,     :;, 
24,000.     It   is  built     = 
on  a  level  and  arid     ? 


shore,  consisting  in     ^ 
the    main    of  sand,     < 

m 

and  is  inclo.sed    by     > 

strong    walls     pro-     ^ 

vided    with    heavy    '^ 

redoubts.     Its  har-     2 

n 
bor    is    little    more     •* 

than  a  roadstead, 
formed  by  several 
s  h  o  a  1  s  which  in- 
close, in  a  semicir- 
cular form,  a  tract 
of  sea  w  h  i  c  h  in 
many  parts  offers 
es:cellent  anchor- 
age. The  most  se- 
cure portion  of  the 
harbor  is  the  strait 
which  .seoarates  the 


ill 


630 


THE    REPUBLIC   OF    MEXICO; 


•>j 


:m. 


island  of  San  Juan  dc  Ulloa,  on  which 
the  celebrated  fortress  of  the  same  name 
is  built,  from  the  city,  and  this  is  less 
than  700  yards  wide  and  about  1,000 
yards  long. 

The  streets  are  straight,  wide    and 
well-paved,  and  the  buildings  are  con- 
structed chiefly  of  a  porous  white  coral, 
which  composes  the  clifTs  on  the  coast. 
The  roofs  are  flat,  covered  with  cement, 
and  shed  rain-water  into  algibes  or  tanks, 
whence    it   is   taken    for   drinking    and 
g    general    domestic    purposes.      In    1887 
X    there  were  sixteen  churches,  a  custom 
j^r   house,   several    hospitals,   a    municipal 
5    palace,   a    library,    a    theatre,   modern 
J    water-works  —  though    the    supply    of 
[^    water   is    considered    less  healthy  than 
>    the  collected  rain-water — and  street  rail- 
''-    roads.      The  city  is  lighted  by  gas,  and 
<    has  improved  railroad  connection  with 
1^    the  City  of  Mexico  by  one  line,  and  with 
^    Jalapa,  the   former  capital  of  the  state 
o    of  Vera  Cruz,  by  another. 

Id 

p  The  progress  of  Vera  Cruz  has  been 

most  seriously  retarded  by  the  preva- 
lence during  the  summer  months  of  the 
vomito  prieto,  a  kind  of  yellow  fever, 
which  proves  very  fatal  to  foreigners, 
and  drives  even  the  acclimatized  busi- 
ness men  into  the  interior  during  its 
continuance.  The  strong  winds,  which 
from  October  to  April  fill  the  air  with 
sand  and  lash  the  roadstead  waters  into 
mid-ocean  fury,  are  also  a  great  hin- 
drance to  the  development  of  the  city 
on  account  of    the  danger  to  shipping 


HER   CAPITAL,  SEAPORT,   ETC. 


631 


Jlloa,  on  which 
the  same  name 
nd  this  is  less 
d    about   1,000 

ght,  wide  and 
dings  are  con- 
us  white  coral, 
s  on  the  coast, 
d  with  cement, 
Igibes  or  tanks, 
drinking  and 
ises.  In  1887 
:hes,  a  custom 
,  a  municipal 
eatre,  modern 
he  supply  of 
>  healthy  than 
and  street  rail- 
ed by  gas,  and 
)nnection  with 
i  line,  and  with 
il  of  the  state 

Cruz  has  been 
ay  the  preva- 
months  of  the 
yellow  fever, 
to  foreigners, 
imatized  busi- 
or  during  its 
;  winds,  which 
1  the  air  with 
ad  waters  into 
il  great  hin- 
nt  of  the  city 
;r  to  shipping 


which  they  produce.  They  yield  some  compensation,  however,  in  driving;  the 
dreaded  fever  away.  With  these  drawbacks  a  vast  amount  of  business  is 
transacted  there.  Upward  of  4,000  vessels  from  all  parts  of  the  world,  ciitur 
and  clear  the  harbor  annually.  The  imports  and  exports  average  about  S-5- 
000,000  each  in  value  per  annum,  of  which  $2,000,000  are  with  the  Ur.itc! 
States. 

The  island  on  which  the  castle  of  San  Juan  de  Ulloa  is  built  was  visitetl 
for  the  first  time  by  Europeans  under  the  command  of  Juan  de  Grijalva  in 
15 18,  and  in  the  following  year  Cortez  landed  at  the  place  where  the  cit)'  u<'\v 
stands;  but  the  town  founded  by  him,  and  called  Villa  Rica  de  Vera  Cruz, 
was  some  miles  further  north.  Three  year  later  that  place  was  abandoned, 
and  another  town  was  built  at  Antigua,  which  in  turn  proved  inconvenient. 
The  present  city  was  then  established  in  1590,  but  was  not  incorporated  till 
161 5.  The  castle  and  city  were  held  by  the  Spaniards  till  1825;  the  French 
took  them  in  1838;  and  the  Americans,  under  General  Scott,  in  March,  ii:?47. 


Other   Places  of   Interest,    Picturesque  and 

Historic. 

ONTEREY,  the  capital  of  the  State  of  Nuevo  Leon,  is  450  miles 
north-northwest  of  Mexico  City,  1,626  feet  above  sea  level,  built 
principally  of  stone,  and  is  the  oldest  and  most  important  city  in 
northern  Mexico.  It  is  inclosed  within  the  northern  cordillera  of  the  Sierra 
Madre  Mountains,  and  has  a  climate  generally  mild,  but  very  changeable.  It 
has  a  beautiful  public  square,  ornamented  by  a  marble  fountain  fashioned  by 
native  workmen  and  artistically  executed,  numbers  among  its  noteworthy 
l)ublic  structures  a  venerable  cathedral,  two  churches— one  of  which  has  the 
reputation  of  being  the  handsomest  in  all  Mexico — a  government  palace, 
municipal  palace,  a  noble  hospital,  and  a  prison,  military  barracks,  and  abat- 
toir, and  contains  a  seminary,  two  colleges,  and  about  fifty  public  and  private 
schools,  all  of  a  high  standard  and  liberally  sustained.  The  manufactures, 
which  constitute  the  chief  pride  and  wealth  of  the  city,  embrace  nails,  bricks, 
carriages,  morocco,  candles,  soap,  sugar,  beer,  brandy,  cotton,  paper,  flour, 
and  lumber.  A  large  proportion  of  its  trade,  export  and  import,  is  with  the 
United  States. 


1 


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• 


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!  ■ 


632 


THE    REPUBLIC   OF   MEXICO: 


Hir 


■fV,  ( t,  . 

mi 

■n    a   <■;  ,■ 


Monterey  was  founded  in  1596,  on  the  site  of  a  former  city  known  as 
Ciudad  de  Leon,  and  was  erected  into  a  Roman  Catholic  bishopric  in  1777. 
It  was  the  scene  of  some  of  the  earliest  and  most  decisive  actions  in  the  war 
between  the  United  States  and  Mexico,  being  a  strong  strategic  point,  corre- 
spondingly fortified,  and  defended  by  io,cxx)  regular  troops  under  General 
Ampudia-  The  American  General  1  aylor  attacked  it  with  6,600  men  on  Sept. 
19,  1846;  first  bombarding  it,  then  sending  a  brigade  under  General  Quitman 
against  the  lower  part  of  the  town  for  the  purpose  of  carrying  it  by  assault, 
General  W.  O.  Butler  forcing  an  entrance  at  au.ther  point,  and  Genera  Worth 
driving  the  Mexicans  from  the  heights  south  of  the  river  and  the  Saltiiilo  roatl. 

On  the  following  morning  the 
height  overlooking  the  bishop's 
palace  was  stormed,  and  its  guns 
were  turned  upon  the  retreating 
Mexicans.  From  the  beginning 
the  contest  was  a  most  deter- 
mined one  on  both  sides.  Even 
after  the  Americans  had  entered 
the  city  their  progress  was  con- 
tested step  by  step,  the  Mexicans 
finding  a  mute  ally  for  resistance 
in  the  solidly-built  houses  that 
lined  the  principal  streets.  B>' 
the  23d  the  Americans  had 
fought  their  waj-  to  the  plaza, 
or  public  square,  and  on  the  fol- 
lowing day  General  Ampudia  sur- 
loKiAi.  (ii-  I  III'.  c\  I  miiKAi.,  MoNiKKi'V,  Mi'.xico.  rcndfrcd.  The  ^American  losses 
in  tlic  various  movements  amounted  to  120  killed  and  36cS  woumied  but  the 
Mexican  loss  was  not  reported.  Since  the  close  of  that  war,  the  progress  of 
the  city  has  been  rapid  for  Mexico  and  substantial.  Population,  1869,  13.534; 
1SS5,  37,000. 

The  State  of  Mexico  contains  three  very  picturesque  and  exceedingly  fer- 
tile valleys,  formed  by  the  two  great  mountain  chains  which  traverse  it  and 
their  branches,  the  valleys  of  Mexico,  Tlaxcala,  and  Toluca.  The  chief  river 
is  the  Lerma,  whi  :h  connects  the  lake  of  its  own  name  with  Lake  Chapala. 
Lake  Lerma  is  in  the  valley  of  Toluca.  The  valle\-  of  Mexico  contains  Lakes 


:ity  known  as 

apric  in   1777. 

ons  in  the  war 

:  point,  coric- 

inder  General 

>  men  on  Sept. 

leral  Quitman 

l  it  by  assault, 

lenera   Worth 

:  SaltiiRy  road. 

morning    tiic 

the    bishop's 

I,  and  its  guns 

the  retreatinij 

the  beginning 

most    deter- 

sides.      Even 

s  had  entered 

ress  was  con- 

the  Mexicans 

for  resistance 

t   houses  that 

streets.      1^)- 

lericans     had 

to  the   plaza, 

lid  on  the  fol- 

Ampudia  sur- 

lerican   losses 

ided     but  the 

le  progress  of 

ItSfx;,  13.534; 

ccedingl)-  fer- 
averse  it  and 
he  chief  ri\er 

ake  Chapala. 

ntains  Lakes 


HER   CAPITAL,  SEAPORT,   ETC. 


633 


Tezcuco,  area  99  square  miles;  Chalco,  54;  Xochimilco  and  Xaltocan,  each 
2y,  Zumpango,  9;  and  San  Cristobal,  6,  Some  of  these  overflow  their  banks 
during  the  rainy  season,  endangering  the  capital,  which  has  often  narrowly 
escaped  dest- jction  by  the  floods.  Lakes  Tezcuco,  Xochimlico,  and  Chalco 
are  connected  with  each  other  by  a  canal  that  was  constructed  by  the  ancient 


A    CI.IMI'SK,    1)1"    MilN'll  KI'.Y,    NU'.XICO. 

A/.tccs.  The  former  is  navigable  by  small  steamers,  and  receives  the  sewage 
of  the  cai)ital  city.  Lake  Ch.-ipala  is  also  navigable  by  steam  vessels.  The 
distance  l)etween  Mexico  City  and  Vera  Cruz  is  a  little  over  260  miles,  and  is 
traverseil  by  ;i  railroad  that  represents  one  of  the  most  wonderful  engineering 
enterprises  in  the  world.  It  was  begun  in  1852,  required  twenty  years  of 
constant  toil  for  its  completion,  cost  $27,000,000,  ai.d  was  opened  for  traflfic 


i 


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'^ 


THE    REPUBLIC   OF   MEXICO. 


635 


amid  national  rejoicings  on  Jan.  17,  1873.  A  stretch  of  sixty  miles  extends 
over  the  mountain  region  between  the  great  table-land  and  the  coast,  at  an 
elevation  in  some  places  of  nearly  8,000  feet  above  sea  level,  and  on  a  grade 
of  133  feet  to  the  mile.  It  winds  along  the  rugged  sides  of  mountains,  passes 
through  tunnels  cut  in  the  hardest  rock,  and  bowls  over  bridges  above  deep 
ravines,  and  displays  on  every  side  some  of  the  grandest  scenery  on  the 
continent.  In  September,  1888,  the  road  was  considerably  injured  at 
the  barranca  of  Metlac,  in  the  State  of  Vera  Cruz,  where  it  crosses  on  an 
iron  bridge  ninety-six  feet  high  and  over  500  feet  long.  Over  150  feet  of 
the  bridge  svere  wrecked  by  the  great  mass  of  forest  trees  and  the  huge 
boulders  of  rock  that  were  dislodged  by  the  heavy  rains  and  washed  down 
the  mountain  sides. 

The  State  of  Durango  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  Chihuahua,  on  the  east 
b\-  Coahuila,  on  the  southeast  by  Zacatecas,  on  the  south  by  Jalisco,  and 
on  the  west  by  Sinaloa.  It  is  between  latitude  22°  51'  and  29°  28'  north, 
anil  longitude  102 "  50' and  106°  55'  west;  contains  an  area  of  66,582  square 
miles;  and  had  a  population  in  1880  of  190,846,  It  is  divided  into  thirteen 
districts;  the  climate  is  cold  in  the  Sierra  Madre  region,  warm  on  the  west- 
ern slope,  and  temperate  in  the  rest  of  the  state.  There  are  large  tracts 
of  exceedingly  fertile  soil  in  the  state,  an  abundance  of  water,  an  inexhausti- 
ble supply  of  excellent  iron  ore  in  Carmen  Mountain  near  the  capital,  and 
numerous  deposits  of  silver  of  great  value;  The  greater  part  of  the  surface 
is  covered  by  rugged  mountains  of  considerable  height.  The  capital  city, 
of  the  same  name,  is  built  on  an  elevation  of  7,000  feet  above  sea  level,  in 
latitude  24'  2'  north,  and  longitude  103"  34'  west,  and  150  miles  west  of 
Zacatecas.  It  is  a  well-built  and  prosperous  city,  the  seat  of  a  Roman 
Catholic  bishop,  and  has  an  imposing  cathedral,  several  convents,  a  col- 
k'L^c,  mint,  theatre,  and  manufactories  of  tobacco  and  iron.  Population, 
iSSo,  27,000. 

The  State  of  Chihuahua  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  New  Mexico  and 
Texas,  on  the  east  by  Coahuila,  on  the  south  by  Durango,  and  on  the  west 
b\-  .Sonara;  is  situated  between  latitude  26°  9'  and  31°  47' north,  and  longitude 
103  8' and  118°  41' west;  has  an  area  of  105,300  square  miles;  and  had  a 
population  in  1880  of  180,758.  It  is  divided  politically  into  eighteen  districts. 
The  state  is  very  mountainous,  containing  a  portion  of  the  Sierra  Madre 
range,  a  branch  locally  known  as  the  Tarahumara,  and  the  mountains  of 
Carcay,  Jesus    Maria    y    Tabacotes,    Nido,    Batopilas,    Urique,    Guazapares, 


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TlIK    RETUHLIC   OF    MKXICO.  657 

Guadaloup  y  Calvo,  Canipana,  1*11  Cliicalatc,  Mcstcflas,  Alniajjrcs,  and  several 
others.  The  Conchas  is  the  lar^^est  river  in  the  state,  and  next  to  it  are  tlu- 
Chihuahua,  Satevo,  Klorido,  Casas  Grande,  Santa  Maria,  and  Carmen.  Tiierc 
are  tliree  hikes  of  note,  the  Guzman,  Santa  Maria,  and  Patos.  The  phiins  on 
the  eastern  spur  of  the  Tarahumara  Mountain  have  an  elevation  of  from  4.(Xjo 

to  5,000  feet  above  sea  level. 
The  capital  city,  also  of  the 
same  name,  is  in  latitude  2S  50' 
north,  and  longitude  105  55' 
west,  310  miles  north  north- 
west of    Durango,  and  is  a  place 


■    ■•-■:-    "^ar-^:. 


.»«Z.J    \^ 


IMF,  CATIII'DUAL   IN   ClimrAinA,    MlAICi). 


of  large  manufacturing  and  commercial  importance.  The  state  is  noted 
the  world  over  for  its  numerous  silver  mines  of  fabulous  extent  and  wealth, 
and  the  capital  is  the  chief  point  of  supply  for  the  whole  mining  region. 
It  possesses  a  mint  which  coins  on  an  average  S-.ooo.ooo  in  silver  annu- 
ally; manufactories  of  wines  and  liquors,  many  large  flour  mills,  and  cot- 
ton factories;  and  its  inhabitants  are  chiefly  engaged  in  mining,  cattle- 
raising,  general  agriculture,  and  the  cultivation  of  the  vine,  which  thrives 
wonderfully  in  El  Paso  and  Hidalgo.     Among  the   points  of  interest  in  the 


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THE   RRPUnLIC   OF    MEXICO. 


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capital  are  the  Roman  Catholic  cathedral,  built  of  stone,  and  costing  with  its 
furniture,  altars,  and  decorations,  $800,000;  state  prison;   state-house;   and 


ai!^«« 


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K 


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THE    PLAZA   IN   CHIHUAHUA,    MEXICO. 


Ik. 

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,.  4*-*^.   ''—^      .'-''■  ;'3.''"            "^  '""'*" 

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^^^^^^^^'^.^^'H 

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ri 

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A  PUBLIC   FOUNTAIN    IN   CHIHUAHUA,    MEXICO. 

mint.  The  city  is  supplied  with  drinking  water  from  mountain  sources  by 
means  of  a  stone  aqueduct  three  miles  long,  and  carries  on  a  large  export  and 
import  trade  with  San  Antonio,  Tex.     Population,  1880,  12,116. 


CUBA, 

THE   "GEM    OK   THE   ANTH.LES,"   AND    ITS   CATITAL   CITY. 

UBA,  the  most  important  colony  of  Spain,  tlie  larffcst  of  the  West 
India  ishinds,  and  poetically  spoken  of  as  the  "Gem  "  or  "  I'earl  " 
of  the  Antilles,  lies  between  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  and  the  Caribbean 
Sea,  with  its  east  and  north  extremities  about  the  same  distance — 130  miles 
— from  the  coasts  of  Yucatan  and  Florida.  The  island  measures  760  miles 
in  its  greatest  Icnyth  and  from  20  to  135  miles  in  width,  has  a  coast  line  of 
2,220  miles,  and  a  total  area  of  47,27s  square  miles.  A  larj^e  number  of  small 
islands  and  rocks  skirt  the  entire  coast,  rendering  th--  approach  of  an  unskilletl 
mariner  exceedingly  dangerous;  yet  there  are  over  200  ports  along  the  coast, 
the  majority  of  which  may  be  entered  safely  by  vessels  of  considerable  size, 
as  the  sea  in  many  places  remains  deep  to  the  very  shore. 

The  soil  is  exceedingly  fertile,  particularly  in  the  western  part,  where  the 
chief  agricultural  industries  of  the  island  are  carried  on,  sugar,  tobacco,  and 
molasses.  The  mineralogy  of  the  island  is  represented  by  gold,  silver,  iron, 
copper,  quicksilver,  lead,  antimony,  arsenic,  copperas;  none,  however,  in 
quantities  that  would  justify  the  expense  of  systematic  mining.  There  are 
many  large  areas  of  dense  forest,  containing  a  very  valuable  growth  of  lignum- 
vit.e,  ebony,  rosewood,  and  mahogany.  The  cocoanut,  African  palm,  sour 
orange,  lemon,  pine-apple,  banana,  and  sweet  potato  are  indigenous;  there  are 
300  kinds  of  butterflies,  200  species  of  native  birds  exclusive  of  domestic 
fowls,  and  600  species  of  fish ;  turtles,  alligators,  insects — including  the  taran- 
tula, the  scorpion,  and  the  sand-fly — and  an  ant  that  preys  upon  vegetables, 
abound;  but  there  are  very  few  wild  animals  or  snakes  on  the  island.  A 
mountain  range  runs  almost  the  entire  length  of  the  island  near  its  centre, 
forming  a  watershed  from  which  numerous  small  rivers  flow  either  into  the 
Gulf  or  the  sea;  the  highest  elevation  is  8,000  feet  above  sea-level.  To- 
bacco, one  of  the  three  great  staples  of  Cuba,  is  grown  on  the  southern  coast 
of  the  extreme  western  end,  a  strip  of  irregular  shape  about  eighty  miles  long 
ami  twenty  wide,  known  as  Vuelto  Abajo.  Cotton  is  cultivated  to  a  consid- 
erable extent,  and  the  mulberry  tree,  which  there  attains  its  highest  perfection, 
is  much  esteemed  in  connection  with  the  breeding  of  silk-worms. 


If 


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640 


CUBA   AND    ITS   CAPITAL   CITY. 


■11 

re 


The  Roman  Catholic  is  the  establisiied  rclii;ion  of  tlie  island,  aiul  altliou;.;! 
the  government  assumed  a  direct  supervision  of  educational  matters  in  1S4  ■ 
and  declared  the  Royal  and  I'ontifical  University  in  Havana  a  national  \u^\ 
tution,  it  is  essentially  under  tiie  control  of  that  church.     This  famous  scat 
learnini^  was  established  b)-  virtue  of  a  bull  issued  in  1722  by  I'ope  Innon  ;, 
XIII.  and  approved  by  the  Spanish  govermiient,  1729.     There  are  two  quit. 
celebrated  seminaries  for  the  instruction  of  young  men  expecting  to  becom 
clergymen,  the  college  of  San  Carlos  in  Havana,  and  that  of  San  Hasilid  i, 
Santiago  de  Cuba.     The  expenses  of  education  in  the  higher  branches  ai 
paid   from  the  public  revenues,  while  the  various  cities  and  towns  suppurt 
schools   for  the   primary  branches.     In    ecclesiastical    government,   Cuba   i- 
divided  into  two  parts  since  178S,  the  metropolitans  of  which  are  establislu 
at  Havana  and  Santiago  de  Cuba.     In  political  government  there  are  tin 
divisions,  known  as  the  Western,  Central,  and  Southeastern   Provinces,  and 
the  supreme  authority  and  direct  representative  of  the  Sovereign  of  Spam 
is  the  Captain-general,  usually  an  army  officer  of  distinction  in  the  niotln  1 
country.     The  subordinate  officials  in  the  fourteen  cities,  twelve  towns,  ami 
324  villages  and  hamlets  are  also  military  men,  who  receive  the  appointnicrts 
by  way  of  political  rewards. 

The  population  of  Cuba  is  variously  estimated.  A  census  was  taken  In 
1862  which  showed  1,359.438  inhabitants,  of  whom  a  large  portion  were  sIavL>. 
A  law  was  passed  by  the  Spanish  Cortes  or  congress  on  June  23,  1870,  declai- 
ing  all  slaves  free;  but  through  the  opposition  of  a  powerful  faction  ii 
Havana  the  government  has  never  been  able  to  make  its  declaration  an  .u 
complished  fact.  In  1880  the  i)opulation  was  estimated  at  1,521,684,  of  wlxmi 
764, 160  were  put  down  as  whites,  .Spaniards  and  Spanish  Creoles,  344,400  ,1^ 
free  people  of  color,  227,900  as  slaves,  and  58,400  as  Chinese.  The  most  popu- 
lous cities  were  Havana,  250,000;  Santiago  de  Cuba,  60,000;  Matanzas.  3^),- 
000;  and  Puerto  Principe,  30,000.  Although  its  manufacturing  industries  an 
limited  to  a  few  commodities,  their  individual  extent  gives  Cuba  its  cliirl 
importance.  In  1880  there  were  exported  from  the  port  of  Havana  alnin, 
12,464,936  pounds  of  tobacco,  153,141,000  cigars,  90,523  boxes,  219.323  sack-, 
and  190,083  barrels  of  sugar,  12,433  barrels  of  molasses,  and  9,873  pipes  n\ 
rum  of  125  gallons  each.  The  more  recent  volume  of  business  with  tin 
United  States,  the  chief  consumer  of  Cuban  products  and  manufactures.  i> 
shown  by  the  following:  Imports  from  Cuba  into  the  United  States;  (188^1 
$65,544,534;  (1884)  $57,181,497;  (1 885)  $42,306,093;  (1886)  $51,1 10,780;  (18871 


1  '!  .''I 


aiul  altliou^jli 
.ittiTs  ill  1S4:. 
national  inst'- 
famous  scat  of 
'ope  Innoccii,. 

irc  two  nuitc 
int;  to  bci'oni: 
San  Hasilio  in 

branches  aii 
towns  suppdii 
mcnt,  Cuba  i  - 
irc  established 
here  are  tliii  . 
Provinces,  and 
reij,Mi  of  Spain 
n  the  motluT 
Ive  towns,  and 
:  appointnuris 

s  was  taken  in 
ion  were  slaw-. 
•3,  1870,  tlecl.n- 
rful  faction  ii 
rlaration  an  ai 

11,684,  of  wildlli 

oles,  344,400  a-^ 

riie  most  popu- 

Matanzas,  36,- 

^  industries  arc 

Cuba  its  chiLl 

Havana  alont, 

;,  219,323  sacks, 

1   9.S73  pipes  of 

siness   with   tin 

1  an u  fact  u res,  i> 

1  States:    (1 88.:; I 

,110,780;  (1 88; I 


CUHA    AM)    IIS   CAI'ITAL    CUV 


641 


$49,515,434.  Exports  from  the  United  States  into  Cui).!:  (1SS3)  $14,567,918; 
(  18841  §10,562,880;  (  188.5)  §8,719,195;  (i886(  §10,020.879;  ( 1 887 )  !?l  0,1 38,930. 
A  furtiier  view  of  the  transactions  with  tiic  United  States  is  .iffordi-d  by  tlie 
clearance  reports  of  tin-  llavan.i  custom-house  for  i88j,  the  l.itest  at  hand. 
During  that  ye.ir  1,424  vessels  entered  and  ele.ired  that  port  alone,  represent- 
ing; an  ajif^re^jati;  tonnaye  of  1,258,181.  Of  this  number  570  vessels  of  496,736 
tons  were  Americ.in;  528  of  .j89,903  tons  were  Spanish;  219  of  186,403  tons 
were  Kn^jlish  ;  2"]  of  43,980  were  French  ;  5  of  3,906  tons  were  German  ;  54  of 
26,326  were  Norwegian;  and  2\  of  10,927  belonged  to  other  nations. 

The  history  of  Cuba  forms  a  lon^  narrative  of  revolutions,  hisurrections 
and  warfare  in  \;irious  decrees.  The  islam!  was  discovered  by  Columbus, 
Oct.  24,  1492 ;  colonized  by  Spaniards  under  Die^o  Velasquez,  151 1  ;  a  French 
pirate  burned  Havana,  1538;  the  native  Inilians,  harshly  treated  by  the  .Sjjan- 
ish  i^ovcrnor,  Hern.indo,  became  extinct,  1553;  Drake,  returning  victorious 
from  Cartha^ena,  blockaded  the  chief  ports,  1588;  a  Dutch  squ.idron  menaced 
them,  1638;  filibusters  overran  the  islanil  from  1650  to  1700;  I'uerto  I'rincipe 
w  as  plundered  and  destroyed  by  them,  1688;  the  tobacco  monopoly  was  estab- 
Hilled  by  the  Spanish  crown,  1 71 7  and  remained  in  force  till  18 16;  and  Havana 
was  captured  by  the  Hritish,  1762,  and  restoreil  in  the  following;  year  on  Spain 
cedinjf  to  Fnf^land  the  territory  of  Florida  and  all  her  possessions  cast  anil 
southeast  of  the  Mississippi  River.  After  the  restitution  of  Havana  the  homo 
j,M)vernment  bejjan  {frantinjj  concessions  of  comniercial  privilej^es;  and  while 
the  island  entered  upon  an  era  of  prosperit)',  it  was  throuj^h  the  aj^ency  of 
an  element  destined  to  become  the  source  of  lonjj  and  bitter  trouble.  The 
necessity  for  a  lar^e  force  of  field  laborers  {jave  a  yreat  impetus  to  the 
African  slave-trade;  and  it  has  been  estimated  that  between  1789  and  1845, 
over  550,000  slaves  were  placed  on  Cuban  plantations.  These,  in  time,  broke 
out  in  stubborn  insurrections,  the  uprisinj^s  in  1844  and  1848  being  particu- 
larly notable  by  reason  of  the  large  numbers  who  were  killed,  the  victims  in 
the  latter  year  alone  amounting  to  10,000. 

During  1849  51  the  island  was  again  disturbed  by  a  series  of  outbreaks 
fomenteil  and  led  by  American  adventurers.  And  again  in  1868,  when  the 
mother-country  was  shaken  in  every  province  by  a  determined  revolution, 
the  island  was  seized  by  a  convulsion  which  lasted  twelve  years.  The  most 
heroic  at(  mpts  were  made  by  the  Cubans  to  achieve  independence,  and  they 
were  encouraged  in  their  course  by  the  people  of  the  United  States  as  openly 
as  international  law  would  permit.     They  established  a  congress,  elected  a 


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642 


CUBA    AND   ITS   CAPITAL   CITY 


president,  commissioned  army  and  naval  officers,  and  confined  their  opera- 
tions chiefly  to  the  eastern  part  of  the  island.  The  Spanish  authorities  fou<,fht 
the  revolutionists  with  extreme  vigor,  and  came  near  involving  the  honii 
government  in  war  with  the  United  States  by  acts  of  almost  savage  cruelty. 
It  was  estimated  that  during  the  struggle  80,000  soldiers  were  sent  to  thi 
island  from  Spain,  of  whom  not  more  than  12,000  s"rvived;  13,600  Cuban- 
were  killed  in  battle;  43,500  were  taken  prisoner  and  put  to  death;  and  Spain 
spent  $70,339,658  in  the  defence. 

The  revolution  gradually  subsided  between  1878  and  1880  upon  promises 
of  leniency  and  local  reforms  by  Spain;  and  since  the  latter  year  the  island 
has  enjoyed  tranquillity. 


CITY   OF    HAVANA. 

AVANA,  the  capital  of  the  island  and  the  most  important  cit)-  in 
the  West  Indies,  is  situated  on  an  inlet  of  the  Gulf  of  Me.xico,  in 
latitude  23°  8'  north,  and  longitude  82°  22'  we^t ;  and  had  a  popu- 
lation in  1887  of  230,000.  It  has  a  channel  three-eighths  of  a  mile  long,  open 
ing  into  a  large  basin  ;  is  defended  by  Morro  and  Punta  castles  and  La  Cabafta, 
a  strong  citadel,  besides  other  heavy  fortifications,  all  below  the  inner  harbor; 
and  is  divided  into  the  old  or  walled  town  and  the  new  one  beyond.  The 
most  attractive  part  of  the  city  is  in  the  vicinity  of  the  great  public  square, 
the  Plaza  de  Armas,  which  has  four  beautiful  gardens,  spacious  walks  bordered 
by  stately  palms  and  other  magnificent  trees,  and  a  statue  of  F'erdinand  \'II. 
in  the  centre.  On  the  west  side  is  the  Governor's  Palace,  a  two-story  build- 
ing with  a  handsome  colonnade  in  front,  painted  yellow,  in  which  the  govern- 
mental offices  are  located.  Opposite  the  Palace  is  the  beautiful  chapel,  l",l 
Templete,  erected  on  the  spot  where  the  first  mass  was  celebrated  after  the 
removal  of  the  city  to  its  present  site.  The  c-ithedral,  erected  in  1724  and 
used  as  a  college  by  the  Jesuits  till  1789,  stands  foremost  among  the  public 
buildings.  Its  dimensions  and  architecture  are  imposing,  but  not  remarkably 
so  for  an  old  Roman  Catholic  community.  What  made  it  particularh"  inter- 
esting to  travellers  and  especially  to  Americans,  was  the  fact  that  it  contained 
the  ashes  of  Christopher  Columbus,  which  were  transferred  thither  from  the 
cathedral  at  San  Domingo,  }\n.  15,  1796.  After  reposing  there  nearly  one 
hundred  years,  they  were  removed  July  2,  1887,  placed  reverently  on  board 


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CUBA   AND    ITS   CAPITAL   CITY. 


643 


an  Italian  man-of-war,  conveyed  to  Genoa,  and  entombed  with  great  public 
and  ecclesiastical  ceremonies.  There  are  fifteen  other  churches,  nine  of  which 
are  attached  to  monastic  orders;  two,  San  Catalina  and  San  Juan  de  Dias, 
date  from  the  sixteenth  century;  one,  San  Augustin,  from  the  beginning  of  the 
seventeenth ;  and  all  are  noted  for  the  richness  and  splendor  of  their  decora- 
tions. 

The  strangest  contrasts  are  seen  in  Havana  within  comparatively  a  few 
feet.  Within  the  walled  part,  the  business  part  still  and  the  residence  of  many 
wealthy  Cubans,  the  tourist  will  look  in  vain  for  a  tree,  plant,  or  something 
green  to  refresh  the  eye:  a  very  small  square  in  front  of  the  little  temple 
reared  in  memory  of  the  landing  of  Columbus  on  the  spot,  being  the  only 
exception.  Beyond  the  walls  where  the  modern  part  of  the  city  begins,  the 
prospect  immediately  changes.  Beside  the  Plaza  de  Armas  and  the  build- 
ings alrea<l\-  mentioned,  there  are  the  Calle  del  Prado,  extending  to  the  Costa 
del  Norte,  the  Parque  de  Isabela  Catolica,  with  its  statue  of  her  majesty,  the 
Campo  del  Marte,  and  numerous  other  parks  and  boulevards,  teeming  with 
life  and  beauty.  Here  are  located  the  architectural  adornments  of  the  capi- 
tal, the  principal  hotels,  the  Tacon  and  La  Paz  theatres,  the  Louvre,  and  the 
celebrated  Casino  club  house,  the  pride  of  the  city. 

The  architecture  of  the  residences  and  business  houses  is  identical  with 
that  of  the  south  of  Spain,  and  is  of  a  decidedly  Moorish  tone.  The  houses  are 
built  for  the  most  part  of  stone,  with  very  thick  walls  and  tessellated  floors, 
and  seldom  excecil  two  stories  in  height.  The  roofs  are  invariably  flat  and 
covered  with  variegated  tiling,  or,  in  the  case  of  a  very  pretentious  building, 
with  masonr)-;  and  in  evenings  the  families  and  their  guests  betake  them- 
selves thither  to  enjoy  the  refreshing  sea  breezes.  The  doors  are  large,  pon- 
derous, and  strengthened  with  heav)-  iron  bands  and  bolts;  the  knockers  are 
usually  brass,  in  the  shape  of  a  hand.  The  windows  have  no  glass,  and  are 
simply  large  openings  for  air  and  light,  with  iron  bars  running  up  and  down 
their  length  about  six  inches  apart.  Heavy  latticed  shutters  on  the  outside 
stand  open  in  evenings  to  admit  the  breeze  and  are  closed  in  the  day  time  to 
exclude  the  sun.  The  houses  are  painted  pink,  blue,  yellow,  and  other  bright 
colors;  the  floors  and  stairs  of  costly  residences  are  generally  marble,  the 
apartments  open  upt)n  a  coveretl  veranda,  and  the  outer  door  or  doors — for 
many  of  them  are  double — open  into  a  patio,  corresponding  with  the  Mexican 
court-yard,  in  which  there  is  usuall)'  a  fountain  and  a  profusion  of  plants  and 
flowers.     A  stairca.se  leads  from  the  patio  to  the  upper  apartments.     Since 


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644 


THE   BAHAMA   ISLANDS. 


the  close  of  the  revolution,  many  wealthy  planters  have  erected  very  costly 
residences,  and  changed  the  native  to  the  modern  foreign  style  both  in  con- 
struction and  embellishment. 

The  first  railroad  in  Cuba  \vas  opened  in  Havana  in  1837;  the  first  tele- 
graph line  was  built  therefrom  in  1852;  the  submarine  cable  to  Florida  was 
laid  in  1867-8;  and  that  to  Jamaica  in  1870.  In  1889  Havana  had  steam- 
ship communications  with  Spain,  France,  England,  and  the  United  States 
weekly ;  and  railroad  connections  with  Cardenas,  Matanzas,  Santiago,  and 
other  important  places  on  the  island. 


THE    BAHAMA    ISLANDS. 

HIS  possession  of  Great  Britain  embraces  a  group  of  600  islands  in 
the  Atlantic  Ocean,  stretching  in  a  north-westerly  direction  from 
U  the  north  side  of  San  Domingo  to  the  east  coast  of  Florida,  be- 
tween latitude  20°  55'  and  27°  40'  north,  and  longitude  68°  40'  and  29" 
20'  west,  and  having  an  aggregate  area  of  3,021  square  miles.  Less  than 
twenty  of  the  islands  are  inhabited,  and  these  had  a  population  in  1887 
of  43,521.  The  principal  islands  are  situated  on  the  remarkable  flats 
called  the  Bahama  Banks,  of  which  the  Great  Bank  lying  at  the  western 
extremity  of  the  archipelago  occupies  an  extent  of  300  miles  in  length, 
northwest  and  southeast,  and  eighty  miles  in  breadth.  The  deepest  water 
on  any  pan  of  this  bank  is  thirty  feet,  but  the  patches  of  coral  rock  and 
dry  sand  are  innumerable.  These  banks  rise  almost  perpendicularly  from 
an  unfathomable  depth  of  water,  and  are  formed  of  coral,  with  an  accumula- 
tion of  shells  and  calcareous  sand.  The  islands  are  generally  long  and  nar- 
row, low,  and  covered  with  a  light  sandy  soil,  their  figure  and  surface 
throughout  being  nearly  uniform  in  character.  Those  islands  not  situated  on 
the  bank  have  a  reef  of  rocks  extending  a  short  distance  from  the  shore, 
forming  the  boundary  of  soundings,  immediately  outside  which  the  sea  is 
often  unfathomable. 

The  principal  islands  are  Abaco,  eighty  miles  long  and  twenty  broad; 
Eleuthera,  eighty  miles  long  and  ten  broad;  New  Providence,  eighty  miles 
long  and  from  eight  to  ten  broad;  Andros,  100  miles  long  and  fifteen  broad; 
Guanahani,  or  Cat  Island,  forty  miles  long  and  five  broad;  Watling,  twenty 
mihs  long  and  four  broad;  Exuma,  thirty  miles  long  and  four  broad;    Long 


THE   BAHAMA  ISLANDS. 


64s 


Island,  seventy-five  miles  long  and  five  broad ;  Crooked  Islands,  a  group  of 
four  small  ones,  whose  inhabitants  are  chiefly  engaged  in  salt-raking;  and 
Inagua,  the  most  southern  of  the  group,  containing  675  square  miles  of  sur- 
face, and  remarkable  for  its  great  salt-pond  of  1,600  acres,  from  a  single  acre 
of  which  8,000  bushels  of  salt  have  been  frequently  raked  in  one  seasc^i. 
Caicos  and  Turk's  Islands  were  formerly  included  in  the  Bahama  group  for 
administrative  purposes,  but  since  1848  they  have  been  under  the  jurisdiction 
of  the  Governor  of  Jamaica. 

The  climate  is  healthy  and  temperate;  from  May  to  October  the  ther- 
mometer ranges  from  82°  to  88°F.,  from  November  to  April  it  averages  70°; 
thunderstorms  are  violent  and  frequent,  and  earthquakes  are  sometimes  felt. 
The  rainfall  in  1887  was  79.41  inches,  of  which  20.07  ^^^1  '"  August  and  only 
0.51  in  February.  This  was  the  largest  rainfall  registered  in  the  Bahamas  for 
twenty  years,  and  was  distributed  throughout  the  year  thus :  first  quarter, 
2.84  inches;  second,  28.18;  third,  37.07;  and  fourth,  11.32.  The  products  of 
the  islands  comprise  fruit  in  abundance,  oranges,  pine-apples,  limes,  lemons, 
yams,  sweet  potatoes,  maize,  and  cotton ;  the  leading  articles  of  export  are 
salt,  sponge,  pineapples,  oranges,  limes,  lemons,  cabinet  woods,  cascarilla 
bark,  arrowroot,  and  pimento;  and  the  chief  imports  are  provisions,  lumber, 
shingles,  and  other  materials  for  ship  and  house  building  from  the  United 
States,  and  sugar,  coffee,  and  other  tropical  productions  from  Cuba,  Porto 
Rico,  and  the  British  West  Indies.  In  1887  the  exports  amounted  to  §627,- 
320,  and  there  was  a  marked  falling  off  in  cotton  and  pine-apples  and  an  im- 
provement in  the  sponge  trade.  The  imports  aggregated  $947,280,  of  which 
$148,345  came  from  Great  Britain,  and  the  remainder  almost  wholly  from  the 
United  States,  where  nearly  the  whole  of  the  fruit  grown  on  the  islands  is 
sold.  The  public  revenue  ifi  that  year  was  $229,345,  an  increase  of  $9,745 
over  the  previous  year;  the  expenditure  was  .$219,775;  and  the  debt,  $415,- 
630. 

The  government  of  the  islands  is  vested  in  a  colonial  governor  appointed 
by  the  British  sovereign,  an  executive  council,  a  legislative  council,  and  an 
assembly  of  thirty  members  chosen  by  popular  vote.  All  forms  of  religious 
worship  are  tolerated,  but  the  Church  of  England  is  naturally  the  largest  in 
membership.  It  carries  on  a  considerable  work  on  the  islands,  which  consti- 
tute fifteen  parishes,  and  has  numerous  churches,  chapels,  mission  stations, 
and  day  and  Sunday  schools.  A  colonial  board  of  education  was  established 
in  1848  on  the  system  of  the  British  and  Foreign  School  Society,  and  in  1SS7 


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THE    BAHAMA   ISLANDS. 


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there  were  thirty-six  schools  with  an  average  daily  attendance  of  4,550 
scholars.  The  lack  of  means  to  procure  a  higher  grade  of  teachers  was  much 
deplored.  New  Providence  is  the  most  important  island  in  the  group,  and 
Nassau,  its  chief  and  only  town,  is  the  seat  of  government  of  the  colony. 

The  submarine  gardens  of  the  Bahamas  form  one  of  the  most  interesting 
scenes  imaginable,  and  more  than  fulfil  any  ideas  the  fancy  may  create  about 
them.  They  are  really  fairy  gardens,  for,  far  down  in  the  clear  green  water 
wave  brilliant  sea  grass,  sea  fans,  plumes,  flowers,  and  vines;  while  many 
species  of  fish,  varying  in  hue  and  size  from  the  green  and  golden  minnow, 
not  two  ounces  in  weight  perhaps,  to  the  ponderous  jo\.'  fish,  clad  in  a  coat 
of  silver  mail  and  weighing  over  500  pounds,  dash  through  the  shrubbt.y  or 
placidly  float  in  a  coral  grotto.  Conches,  in  which  pinkish  pearls  are  con- 
cealed, may  also  be  found  there,  and  with  them  nearly  every  species  of  shell- 
fish indigenous  to  tropical  seas. 

Harbor  Island,  in  the  northern  end  of  the  group,  is  very  interesting,  as  it 
boasts  the  second  largest  city  in  the  Bahamas,  Dunmore  Town,  and  the 
famous  "  Glass  Windows,"  which  are  nothing  more  than  a  massive  arch  of 
limestone  rocks,  about  eighty  feet  in  height,  which  command  some  noble 
views  of  land  and  water.  One  of  the  most  curious  spots  in  the  entire  region 
is  Spanish  Wells,  situated  on  an  i.;land  of  the  same  name.  Its  houses,  which 
are  huddled  together  in  the  utmost  confusion,  are  erected  on  high  posts  to 
protect  the  inmates  from  the  incursions  of  the  wandering  crabs,  which  live 
among  the  rocks  and  move  over  the  island  at  night  in  such  vasfnumbers  that 
they  destroy  every  edible  thing  they  can  find.  Eleuthera  Island,  readily 
reached  by  small  boats  from  New  Providence,  grows  about  two-thirds  of  the 
entire  pine-apple  crop  of  the  Bahamas,  and  its  inhabitants  have  been  shipping 
almost  wholly  to  the  United  States  since  1820.  Guanahani,  or  Cat  Island, 
was  the  first  land  met  with  by  Columbus  on  his  first  voyage  of  discovery,  his 
landing  taking  place  in  October,  1492.  He  piously  made  the  sign  of  the  cross 
on  a  large  rock,  named  the  place  San  Salvador,  and  carried  to  Mexico  the 
few  natives  he  encountered. 

The  islands  remained  uninhabited  till  1629,  when  New  Pri^^vidence  was  set- 
tled by  the  English,  who  held  it  till  1641.  A  body  of  Spaniards  seized  the 
island  in  that  year,  destroyed  the  colony,  and  expelled  the  settlers,  but  made 
no  permanent  occupation.  The  English  air 'in  colonized  it  in  1666,  and  the 
settlers  enjoyed  a  peaceable  existence  till  1705,  when  a  combined  force  of 
French  and  Spaniards  destroyed    Nassau    and    put  its  inhabitants  to  flight. 


THE   BAHAMA   ISLANDS.— NASSAU. 


r,47 


After  thid  the  island  became  a  rendezvous  for  pirates,  whose  depredations  on 
the  adjacent  seas  became  so  notorious  that  the  British  government  determined 
to  suppress  them  and  re-estabhsh  the  colony.  This  it  did  by  means  of  a  naval 
squadron  in  1718.  Nassau  was  fortified,  and  settlements  were  made  on  other 
large  islands.  In  1776  New  Providence  was  seized  by  the  Americans,  but  they 
abandoned  it  shortly  afterward ;  in  1781  all  the  islands  were  seized  by  the 
Spaniards;  and  1783  they  were  again  restored  to  Great  Britain  by  treaty,  and 
she  has  since  remained  in  undisturbed  possession  of  them. 


CITY   OF    NASSAU. 

ASSAU,  the  port  of  entry  and  capital  ■  the  Colony  of  the  Bahamas, 
is  built  on  the  northern  coast  of  the  island  of  New  Providence, 
and  extends  au^ng  the  water  front  for  a  distance  of  three  miles 
and  back  to  the  crest  of  the  slope,  on  which  stands  the  government  house, 
the  Royal  Victoria  hotel,  erected  by  the  British  government  in  i860  for  the 
accommodation  of  foreign  invalids,  and  many  of  the  finest  private  residences. 
The  ground  here  has  an  elevation  of  ninety  feet  above  the  sea  level  of  the 
harbor,  thus  insuring  admirable  drainage.  The  streets  are  regularly  laid  out, 
cross  each  other  at  right  angles,  and  are  macadamized ;  and  the  houses  are, 
for  the  most  part,  uuilt  of  stone,  in  the  midst  of  grounds  beautifully  arranged 
in  flower  and  shrub.  The  city  contains  a  museum  and  library  established  in 
1847,  numerous  churches  and  charitable  institutions,  and  elegant  drives  leading 
to  the  suburbs,  rich  in  inland  and  seaward  scenery.  It  was  founded  in  1629, 
declared  a  free  port  in  1787,  suffered  severely  from  a  tornado  on  March  30, 
1850,  was  made  an  Anglican  bishop's  see  in  1861,  ind  its  harbor  was  used  as 
a  rendezvous  for  blockade-runners  during  the  American  civil  war. 

Though  a  considerable  foreign  trade  is  carried  on  in  the  city,  it  enjoys  its 
highest  distinction  as  an  unusually  popular  winter  resort  for  invalids  and 
pleasure  seekers.  Its  proximity  to  the  American  coast  and  ease  of  access  by 
steamship  from  a  number  of  Atlantic  ports,  combined  with  the  equability 
and  wonderful  salubrity  of  its  climate,  attract  a  large  number  of  American  fam- 
ilies annually  who  wish  to  escape  the  rigors  of  a  northern  season.  The  heat 
is  tempered  by  an  ocean  breeze  of  a  softness  and  purity  not  excelled  else- 
where;    fish  abound  in  the  neighboring  waters;   and  northern  fowl  seek  the 


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r^ 


648 


THE   BAHAMA   ISLANDS.— NASSAU. 


S«i^.>' 


region  of  the  lakes  close  by,  at  the  beginning  of  the  American  winter  and  the 
Nassau  fashionable  seasons. 

Nassau  has  been  very  aptly  called  a  lazy  man's  paradise ;  and  while  air, 
surroundings,  and  associations  are  conducive  to  quiescence,  there  is  an  abun- 
dance of  material  for  the  most  active  sight-seeing.  Beside  the  ordinary  trop- 
ical trees  found  in  the  West  Indies,  the  tourist  will  be  pleased  to  meet  the 
banyan  tree,  the  royal  African  palm,  the  silk-cotton  tree,  the  life  plant — that 
mysterious  growth  of  which  a  leaf,  if  broken  off  and  pinned  to  the  wall,  will 
not  only  thrive  without  water  but  will  send  forth  shoots  that  in  turn  produce 
others  and  so  rapidly,  that  the  product  of  a  single  leaf  will  soon  cover  the 
side  of  a  large  room — and  many  other  marvels  of  plant,  flower,  and  shrub. 
One  of  the  most  charming  spots  on  the  island  is  Lake  Killarney,  whose 
greenish  transparent  water  gleams  amid  orange  and  cocoanut  groves,  and 
whose  emerald  hue  contrasts  strongly  with  the  scarlet  of  the  pine-apple  plan- 
tations that  surround  it.  The  Caves,  which  are  composed  of  a  series  of 
caverns,  are  much  frequented  by  American  tourists.  Two  of  these  are  of  fair 
size,  but  the  largest  is  a  mile  in  the  interior.  The  vestibule  is  divided  into 
two  parts  which  run  at  right  angles  to  each  other,  and  one  of  them  bears  a 
resemblance  to  a  cathedral,  with  its  altar,  chancel,  and  columns,  while  the 
roots  of  a  banyan  tree,  which  have  pierced  its  roof,  are  not  unlike  supports  for 
chandeliers.  The  inner  chamber  which  is  entered  through  a  narrow  hole 
about  half  a  mile  long,  is  wrapped  in  such  gloom  that  the  torches  used  by 
visitors  only  make  its  blackness  seem  deeper.  Those  who  have  a  taste  for 
archaeology  would  enjoy  a  visit  to  Forts  Fincastle,  which,  viewed  from  the 
front,  resembles  a  side-wheel  steamship  built  of  stone,  and  Charlotte  at  the 
western  end  of  the  town,  with  their  gloomy  vaults  and  dungeons,  massive 
walls  and  inky  passages  of  stone,  which  seem  to  breathe  of  past  cruelty  and 
slaughter.  Fort  Fincastle  is  now  used  as  a  station  for  signalling  the  ap- 
proach of  vessels.  Fort  Charlotte  was  built  by  the  Earl  of  Dunmore  more 
than  100  years  ago,  has  gloomy  passages  of  massive  rock,  numerous  dun- 
geons, and  a  curious  deep  well  with  circular  stairs  leading  to  the  bottom, 
from  which  an  almost  hair-raising  passage  enables  one  to  reach  a  chamber 
known  as  "  The  Governor's  Room." 

There  is  so  much  to  see,  learn,  enjoy,  and  be  benefited  by  in  this  de- 
lightful winter  resort,  that  one  season  will  hardly  suffice  to  yield  the  amount 
of  satisfaction  that  is  possible. 


iter  and  the 


THE 


COUNTRIES  OF  SOUTH  AMERICA: 
Their  Capitals  and  Seaports, 


BRAZIL. 

jRAZIL,  until  the  peaceful  revolution  of  1889,  was  a  constitutional 
monarchy.  The  treatment  of  its  history  must  necessarily  be. con- 
fined to  the  period  prior  to  that  event,  as  the  time  to  write  accu- 
rately and  impartially  of  the  recent  change  in  government  has  not  yet  arrived. 

The  country  occupies  one-half  the  entire  territory  of  South  America,  and 
has  an  area  nearly  equal  to  that  of  the  whole  of  Europe.  It  extends  from 
latitude  4°  30'  north  to  33°  45'  south,  and  from  longitude  34°  40'  to  72°  30' 
west,  and  has  an  extreme  length  of  2,600  English  miles,  a  breadth  of  2,500 
miles,  and  a  sea-board  of  4,000  miles.  The  area  is  variously  estimated  at 
from  3,218,166  to  3,288,963  square  miles,  and  the  population  was  computed  in 
1885  at  12,922,375,  of  whom  1,149,723  were  slaves.  Beyond  this  enumeration 
there  was  a  nomadic  aboriginal  population  estimated  at  1,000,000. 

The  country  has  an  unusually  large  and  constant  water  supply  from  its- 
remarkable  river  system,  which — if  it  did  not  include  that  grand  monarch  of 
rivers — the  Amazon — would  still  be  a  natural  phenomenon.  The  Amazon  is 
reputed  the  largest  river  in  the  world,  and  though  it  is  claimed  that  both  the 
Mississippi  and  Nile  rivers  are  longer,  they  are  unquestionably  inferior  in 
volume.  It  rises  in  the  mountains  of  western  Peru  near  the  Pacific  Ocean, 
and,  after  flowing  a  distance  of  nearly  3,000  miles,  empties  into  the  Atlantic 
through  a  main  mouth  fifty  miles  wide.  If  it  be  admitted,  as  is  strongly 
asserted,  that  the  Para  River  also  is  an  outlet,  the  delta  of  the  Amazon  will 
measure  180  miles  in  width.  The  Amazon  itself  drains  800,000  square  miles 
of  territory  within  the  country,  and  with  its  numerous  tributaries  about  one- 
third  the  whole  of  South  America. 

The  surface  of  the  country  is  divided  into  the  higher  region  of  plateaus, 
ridges,  broad,  open  valleys,  and  the  vast  lowland  plain  of  the  Amazon.     The 


650 


THE  COUNTRIES   OF   SOUTH  AMERICA; 


ft''  i. 

Mi ; 


W 


Bit'':': 


:1;i.' 


mountains  are  rich  in  minerals  and  precious  stones;  mines  of  diamonds  are 
both  numerous  and  exceedingly  productive;  and,  according  to  Prof.  Agassiz, 
no  country  in  the  world  approaches  Brazil  in  the  variety  and  wealth  of  its 
forest  productions.  From  a  single  piece  of  land  not  half  a  mile  square  he 
cut  117  different  kinds  of  valuable  woods,  and  noted  particularly  a  single 
variety  of  the  palm  from  which  the  natives  obtained  food,  drink,  clothing, 
bedding,  cordage,  fishing  tackle,  medicine,  and  the  material  they  manufac- 
tured into  dwellings,  weapons,  harpoons,  and  musical  instruments.  The  most 
important  trees  are  the  Brazil  wood,  rosewood,  laurel,  soap,  and  the  entire 
famil_,  of  palms.  The  cocoa  tree,  ^vhit  h  grows  in  great  quantities,  supplies 
chocolate,  one  of  the  most  iri;|H  ;  '-in'  items  of  internal  commerce,  and  the 
gum  of  the  caoutchouc  tree,  w.  ■  h  h  i  .poed  daily  in  the  dry  season,  when 
held  in  the  smoke  made  by  burning  the  ni.'^  -jf  the  tucuma  becomes  the  india 
rubber  of  commerce.  The  fruit  of  the  Brazil-nut  tree  ranks  third  in  import- 
ance among  the  exports  of  the  Amazon  valley,  the  first  two  being  rubber  and 
cocoa. 

The  soil  in  general  is  very  rich ;  the  valley  of  the  Amazon  is  so  fertile  that 
nearly  all  its  vegetation  is  spontaneous,  and  agriculture  is  carried  on  rudely 
and  without  tilling.  The  eastern  and  coast  provinces  are  the  chief  agricul- 
tural regions,  where  cofifee,  sugar,  cotton,  cassava  flour,  tobacco,  rice,  maize, 
fruits,  and  spices  are  grown  in  enormous  quantities.  The  flora  and  fauna  are 
the  most  luxuriant  and  beautiful  in  the  world ;  the  birds  are  unapproachable 
in  brilliancy  of  plumage ;  animal  life  is  displayed  in  its  wildest  forms ;  and  the 
domestic  animals  of  importance  are  limited  to  the  horse,  cattle,  and  sheep. 
Cattle  are  bred  in  the  central  and  southern  provinces,  but  sheep  do  not  thrive 
as  well.  As  may  be  imagined  from  the  great  extent  of  the  country,  the 
climate  shows  considerable  variations.  In  the  Amazon  basin  the  temperature 
averages  between  75°  and  90°  F. ;  in  the  latitude  of  Rio  de  Janeiro  the  sum- 
mer or  January  temperature  averages  about  75°  near  the  sea  level,  and  that 
of  July  about  65°.  Snow  and  ice  form  on  the  high  table-lands  and  mountain 
ranges.  At  the  mouth  of  the  Amazon  the  climate  in  general  is  similar  to 
that  of  New  York  city  in  August. 

Under  the  empire  the  state  treatment  of  religious  affairs  was  liberal.  The 
established  form  was  Roman  Catholic,  but  there  was  no  persecution  in  any 
way  for  religious  acts  or  motives.  The  empire  maintained  the  Roman  Cath- 
olic clergy  and  also  aided  materially  in  the  building  of  churches  and  support 
of  clergy  and  institutions  of  other  denominations.     The  educational  system 


THEIR   CAPITALS  AND   SEAPORTS. 


651 


was  thorough  and  likewise  liberal,  but  unfortunately  has  not  been  fully 
appreciated.  Public  education  is  primary,  secondary,  or  preparatory,  and 
scientific  or  superior.     In  all  cases  it  is  gratuitous. 

In  1886  there  were  4,379  miles  of  railroad  in  operation  and  1,410  under 
construction,  «nd  6,440  miles  of  telegraph,  beside  a  submarine  cable  to 
Europe.  Thf.  same  year  the  total  imports  amounted  to  ^103,691,240,  and 
the  exports,  v/hich  were  chiefly  coffee,  sugar,  and  hides,  !i>i  15,143,260.  In 
1887  the  public  revenue  was  ^100,364,124,  one  half  of  which  was  from  cus- 
toms duties,  and  the  expenditures  !?i  15,133,240;  and  the  public  debt  of  all 
kinds  aggregated  $565,035,000.  The  recent  trade  with  the  United  States 
wasas  follows:  imports:  1885,87,258,035;  1886,  !?6,48o,738;  1887,  !?8,07l,653; 
exports:  1885,  .^45,263,660;  1886,  )?4l,907,532  ;  1887,  >?52,953, 176.  In  the  lat- 
ter year  there  were  sixty-two  cotton  spinning  and  weaving  factories,  with 
5,084  horse-power  and  5,712  looms,  and  fifty-two  central  sugar  'ouses,  for 
thirty-three  of  which  the  government  guaranteed  the  interest  oi  th  capital 
invested,  !?io,ooo,ooo. 

Under  the  empire  the  government  of  the  country  was  a  constitutional 
monarchy.  Four  powers  were  established  by  the  constitution:  the  legisla- 
tive, vested  in  a  national  assembly  comprising  a  senate  c*  fifty-eight  life 
members  and  a  congress  of  122  representatives  elected  for  .our  years;  the 
executive,  vested  in  the  emperor,  assisted  by  a  cabinet  of  ministers  and  a 
council  of  state ;  the  judicial ;  and  the  moderating,  or  royal  prerogative. 
For  administrative  purposes  the  country  was  divided  into  twenty  provinces, 
comprising  642  municipalities.  Each  provincial  government  consisted  of  a 
provincial  chamber  and  a  general  council  or  legislative  assembly;  the  mem- 
bers of  the  former  were  elected  directly  by  the  voters  for  terms  of  two  years, 
and  of  the  latter  by  the  same  electors  as  the  members  of  the  house  of  repre- 
sentatives. The  chief  cities  are  Rio  de  Janeiro,  the  capital,  population  in 
1887,274,972;  Rahia,  128,929;  Pernambuco,  1 16,671 ;  Para,  35,000;  Maran- 
ham,  31.604;  Sao  Paulo,  25,000;  and  Parahiba,  15,000.  The  language  of  the 
country  is  Portuguese. 

Brazil  was  discovered  in  1500  by  V.  Y.  Pinzon,  an  associate  of  Columbus. 
Pedro  A.  Cabral  subsequently  took  possession  of  it,  and  amid  the  persistent 
opposition  of  several  countries  the  Portuguese  made  a  number  of  settlements. 
In  1807,  Napoleon  declared  war  against  Portugal,  and  in  the  following  year, 
King  John  VI.  fled  with  the  royal  family  to  Brazil,  then  a  Portuguese  colony. 
In   1 81 5  the  colony  was  declared  a  kingdom;   in   1820  the  royal  family  re- 


I 


' 


V 


I 


05: 


THE   COUNTRIES   OF  SOUTH   AMERICA: 


turned  to  Portugal,  tlic  king  leaving  his  son,  Dom  Pedro  I.  as  regent;  in  1821 
a  national  congress  chose  him  Perpetual  Protector;  and  in  1822  he  declared 
Brazil  free  and  independent,  assumed  the  title  of  Constitutional  Emperoi  and 
Protector,  and  was  recognized  by  Portugal  in  1825.  Dom  Pedro  I.  abdicated 
in  favor  of  his  son,  Dom  Pedro  II.,  in  1831,  and  the  country  remained  under 
a  regency  till  1841,  when  the  new  emperor  was  crowned.  In  1865-70  the 
country  was  at  v/ar  with  Paraguay;  1866  all  the  important  rivers  were  opened 
to  foreign  commerce;  1 87 1  and  1885  provisions  were  made  for  the  gradual 
liberation  of  the  slaves,  and  in  1888  the  emancipation  measures  were  con- 
summated. In  November,  1889,  the  empire  was  overthrown  by  a  peaceful 
revolution.  The  royal  family  was  pensioned  and  retired  to  Portugal,  and 
measures  were  taken  for  the  organization  of  a  republican  government. 


wfH' 


CITY   OF   RIO   DE   JANEIRO. 

10  DE  JANEIRO,  the  city  of  the  "River  of  January,"  the  capital 
of  Brazil  and  much  the  largest  city  in  South  America,  is  situated 
on  the  western  shore  of  a  bay  of  the  same  name,  in  latitude  22°  54' 
south,  and  longitude  43°  10'  west.  The  bay  is  twenty-four  miles  in  length 
from  north  to  south,  from  four  to  fifteen  miles  wide,  and  being  inclosed  by 
hills  over  1,000  feet  high,  forms  the  finest,  safest,  and  most  capacious  harbor 
in  the  world.  Its  entrance,  which  is  protected  on  both  sides  by  heavy  for- 
tifications, is  1,700  yards  wide  with  an  average  depth  of  fourteen  fathoms  of 
water.  Near  the  entrance,  and  where  the  bay  is  only  from  four  to  eight 
miles  wide,  the  city  stretches  a  distance  of  six  miles.  A  fine  pier  of  stone 
projects  a  short  distance  into  the  bay,  and  is  ascended  by  a  flight  of  steps. 
It  leads  directly  to  the  Pra^a  de  San  Jos^,  two  sides  of  which  square  are  oc- 
cupied by  the  imperial  palace.  The  streets  are  paved ;  the  houses,  generally 
built,  of  stone  and  two-stories  high,  are  white-washed  or  rough  cast,  with  red- 
tiled  roofs,  and  projecting  eaves;  the  lower  story  is  usually  a  coach-house  or 
stable,  the  windows  of  the  second  reach  the  floor  and  open  upon  iron  verandas, 
guarded  by  trellis-work  shutters. 

In  1887  there  were  sixty  churches,  of  which  the  cathedral  and  the 
churches  of  San  Francisco  de  Paula  and  De  Candelaria  were  the  most  distin- 
guished buildings  in  the  city.  The  church  of  San  Francisco  is  very  large,  has 
extensive  catacombs  beneath  it,  and,  like  all  the  older  structures  of  the  kind, 


THEIR   CAPITALS   AND   SEAPORTS. 


^553 


has  a  plain  exterior,  but  is  richly  decorated  within.  The  chapels  of  the 
emperor  and  empress  near  the  palace  are  splendid  churches.  The  public 
buildings  of  note  include  the  government  building,  the  post-office,  the  marine 
hospital,  the  opera-house,  the  military  barracks,  the  oflfices  of  the  ministers  of 
war  and  of  commerce,  the  senate  building  and  the  National  Museum,  which 
contains  fine  collections  of  minerals  and  precious  stones,  American  orni-, 
thology,  and  native  Indian  curiosities,  beside  many  foreign  curiosities,  speci- 
mens of  natural  history,  and  a  number  of  sarcophagi.  The  si.x  last  buildings 
are  on  the  Campo  de  Santa  Anna,  the  largest  public  square  in  the  city. 
Among  other  buildings  the  mint.  Academy  of  Fine  Arts,  observatory,  im- 
perial library,  and  the  palace  of  San  Christovao  are  prominent.  The  charita- 
ble institutions  include  a  number  of  hospitals  for  natives,  Portuguese,  English, 
French,  and  Spaniards.  The  city  has  a  grand  array  of  educational  institu- 
tions, comprising  a  national  college,  military  and  engineering  school,  naval 
academy,  school  of  medicine  and  surgery,  a  commercial  school,  a  geographical 
and  historical  institute,  a  polytechnic  and  agricultural  college,  sever  •'  night 
schools  for  adults,  and  numerous  public,  parochial,  and  privjite  schools.  The 
imperial  library  is  noteworthy,  beyond  its  treasures,  because  it  was  at  one 
time  the  royal  library  of  Portugal,  and  was  removed  from  Lisbon  to  Rio  de 
Janeiro  on  the  flight  of  King  John  in  1808. 

The  city  is  supplied  with  good  water  by  means  of  what  is  probably  the 
greatest  curiosity  in  that  entire  section.  The  source  of  the  supply  is  the 
Corcovado  Mountain,  2,307  feet  above  sea  level,  and  on  the  summit  of  which  is 
the  observatory  and  a  watch  tower.  Rushing  down  the  mountain,  the  water 
is  collected  into  the  Casa  de  Agua,  or  reservoir,  about  four  miles  from  the 
city.  From  this  it  is  conveyed  by  an  aqueduct  of  huge  blocks  of  granite, 
twelve  miles  long,  begun  in  the  middle  of  the  seventeenth  and  finished  in  the 
middle  of  the  eighteenth  ce-ntury,  and  crossing  a  valley  over  200  yards  wide 
supported  on  two  rows  of  arches  one  above  another,  and  reaching  a  height  of 
ninety  feet,  to  the  city  where  it  is  distributed  into  numerous  fountains  for 
general  use. 

The  harbor  is  entered  annually  by  about  4,500  vessels  of  2,500,000  tons 
burden  from  foreign  ports,  and  about  6,500  vessels  of  over  i ,,000,000  tons 
from  domestic  ones.  During  the  ten  years  preceding  1889,  the  average  value 
of  imports  was  $37,000,000,  and  of  exports  $54,000,000.  The  chief  item  of  ex- 
port is  coffee,  and  about  one-half  of  the  entire  product  is  shipped  to  the 
United  States.     The  population  of  Rio  do  Janeiro  in  1885  was  274,972.     The 


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654 


Till-:  COUNTRIES   OF   SOUTH  AM K RICA: 


first  settlements  on  tlie  bay  were  made  by  I'ortiijiucse  in  1531.  They  soon 
withdrew,  and  a  colony  of  French  Hui,nicnots  followed  them  in  1555.  The 
Portuf^iicse,  however,  returned,  drove  the  French  away,  and  made  a  perma- 
nent settlement  in  15^)".  The  city  became  the  capital  of  the  Portuguese 
viceroyalty  in  1763,  and  of  the  Ikazilian  empire  in  1822. 

PkkN'AMIUJCo,  with  a  population  of  116,671,  has  a  decidedly  metropolitan 
air,  with  lonjj  lines  of  street  cars,  substantial  iron  bridges  over  the  rivers  that 
divide  the  city  into  three  sections,  streets  closely  built  with  stucco-front 
houses  three  and  four  stories  hi^h,  and  an  extensive  market  built  of  stone 
and  iron.  The  city  is  built  on  perfectly  level  {ground,  presents  a  lonj;  front 
to  the  water,  exhibits  much  neatness  and  commercial  thrift,  and  imports  large 
quantities  of  sugar,  molasses,  and  rum. 

Paka,  with  a  population  of  35,000,  is,  after  Quito,  the  only  considerable 
city  in  the  world  on  the  equatorial  line.  The  river  in  front  of  the  city  is 
twenty  miles  wide,  but  the  expanse  is  broken  by  numerous  islands.  Ships  of 
any  size  will  float  within  150  yards  of  the  shore.  The  city  is  regularly  laid 
out,  has  a  number  of  handsome  public  squares,  wide  and  attractive  avenues, 
six  large  churches  including  the  cathedral,  a  post  ofifice,  a  custom  house  of 
considerable  magnitude,  and  a  most  ornate  presidential  mansion,  with  a 
staircase  of  marvellously  sculptured  marble.  The  commerce  of  the  city  is 
carried  on  almost  exclusively  by  Portuguese  and  other  foreigners;  and  the 
chief  exports  are  rubber,  cacao,  coffee,  sugar,  cotton,  sarsaparilla,  vanilla, 
copaiba,  tobacco,  rum,  hides,  parrots,  and  mokeys. 


THE    REPUBLIC   OF   CHILI. 

HILT  occupies  the  long  narrow  strip  of  territory  between  the 
Pacific  Ocean  and  tht;  Andes  Mountains,  and  the  nineteenth  and 
fifty-sixth  degree  of  south  latitude.  Including  Antofagasta,  which 
was  ceded  to  it  by  Bolivia  in  1885,  Tarapaca,  which  Peru  surrendered  in 
1883,  and  Tacua,  which  by  the  treaty  of  peace  is  to  remain  in  the  posses- 
sion of  Chili  till  1893,  when  the  question  whether  it  shall  revert  to  Peru 
or  remain  a  part  of  Chili  is  to  be  settled  by  a  popuh^r  vote,  the  republic 
contained  in  1885  an  area  of  293,310  square  miles,  and  had  a  population  of 
2,520,442.     Its  surface  is  mountainous,  with  a  mean  elevation  of  14,000  feet 


THKIR   CAIMTALS   AND   SKAI'ORTS. 


655 


above  sca-Icvcl ;  tlio  avcra^jc  hci^;ht  of  the  Andes  there  is  r  1,830  feet,  and  their 
hi^;hest  peak,  Ac<iiicaj,'iia,  is  22,420  feet  above  the  sea.  The  upper  iialf  of  the 
country  is  generally  barren  and  sterile,  the  richest  and  most  fertile  portions 
being  the  central  and  southern  parts.  y\bove  82  \)vr  cent,  of  the  whole  sur- 
face is  desert,  mountain  pasture,  and  forest,  and  tlie  remainiii}^  18  per  cent, 
arable  1  iiul.  A},'riculture  is  pursued  with  much  imlustry,  and  ow  in^'  to  local  ne- 
cessities, with  the  most  improved  implements  ;ind  on  advanced  scientific  plans. 
The  country  is  destitute  of  rivers  or  lakes  of  any  matjnitude,  hut  numerous 
small  streams  fed  by  the  melted  mountain  snow  are  skilfully  utilized  for  irri- 
gation p.irposes.  The  staple  products  are  the  usual  kind  of  European  cereals, 
potatoes  which  are  indigenous,  hemp,  fruits  of  all  kinds,  the  vine,  and  the 
olive.  In  mineral  resources  the  country  is  richest  in  copper,  though  it  has 
considerable  mines  of  gold  and  silver,  and  all  are  worked  with  modern  appli- 
ances. The  climate  embraces  the  extremes  of  intense  heat  and  intense  cold, 
is  on  the  whole  healthful  and  as  enjoyable  as  any  on  the  globe,  and  averages 
in  temperature  at  Santiago  53°  F.  The  rainy  season  is  June,  July,  and  August ; 
spring  begins  in  September,  and  winter  in  June. 

Politically  the  republic  is  divided  into  eighteen  provinces  and  four  terri- 
tories. The  capital  is  Santiago,  usually  spoken  of  as  Santiago  de  Chili  to 
distinguish  it  from  other  cities  and  towns  of  the  same  name;  Talcahuana  has 
the  best  harbor,  and  Cocjuimbo  the  second,  but  that  of  Valparaiso  is  the  most 
important,  as  that  city  is  the  seaport  of  the  capital.  The  president  is  elected 
for  a  term  of  five  years;  the  legislative  authority  is  vested  in  a  senate  of 
thirty-seven  members  elected  for  six  years  and  a  chamber  of  deputies  of  109 
members  elected  for  three;  and  the  executives  of  the  provinces  are  appointed 
by  the  president.  All  citizens  able  to  read  and  write,  and  who  pay  a  small 
annual  tax,  are  allowed  to  vote  in  all  elections.  The  constitution  guarantees 
personal  and  religious  freedom,  but  makes  the  Roman  Catholic  the  religion 
of  the  state.  Through  all  the  changes  of  administration  the  government  has 
liberally  fostered  the  cause  of  education,  and  the  remarkable  statement  can 
be  made  with  absolute  truth  that  in  the  total  population  one  person  out  of 
every  seven  can  read,  one  out  of  every  eight  can  read  and  write,  and  one  out 
of  every  twenty-four  attends  school  regularly.  Nearly  two-thirds  the  educa- 
tional institutions  are  supported  by  the  government.  In  1885  vhere  were 
1,421  miles  of  railroads,  and  7,625  of  telegraph  lines  in  operation;  in  1886  the 
revenue,  one-half  of  which  was  derived  from  customs  and  monopolies, 
amounted   to  $35,064,350,  and   the  expenditures  were  $50,073,183;  and  on 


656 


THE  COUi.^TRIES   OF   SOUTH  AMERICA. 


mm 


ilfi 


1';-  :<'.  '■ 


I 


■  ^imr-t. 


Jan.  1,1887,  the  total  debt  was  $120,428,825.     The  exports  of   1886  included 
products  of  the  mines  worth  $40,264,340,  of  agriculture"  $9,710,747,  of  manu- 
factures $172,900,  and  of  specie  and  bullion  $644,410.     Recent  trade  with  the 
United  States  is  shown  as  follows:  exports;  (1883)  $435,584,  (1884)  $537,936, 
(1885)  $604,525,  (1886),  $1,182,845,  (1887)  $2,863,233;  imports:  (1883)  $2,837,- 
551,  ,1384),  $3,-'36,945.  (1885)  $2,192,672,  (1886)  $1,973,548,  (1887)  $2,062,507. 
When  Francisco  Pizarro  had  overthrown  the  empire  of  the  Inca  of  Peru, 
he  sent  Almagro  to  subjugate  Chili.    The  latter  invaded  the  country  1535,  and 
with  great  loss  of  men  passed  over  the  Andes  and  through  the  desert  of  Ata- 
cama,  and  entered  the  northern  provinces,  previously  dependencies  of  Peru, 
without  material  resistance.     But  when  he  started  southward  he  encountered 
many  war-like  tribes,  by  whom  he  was  held  in  check  till  his  death.     He  was 
succeeded  by  Valdivia,  who  advanced  to  the  Kiobio,  completed  the  conquest, 
and  founded  the  town  of  Santiago  in   1 541.     For  more  than  200  years  the 
Spaniards  endeavored  to  establish  and  maintain  their  authority  in  tlie  southern 
provinces,  but  without  permanent  results;  and  in  1771  they  were  compelled 
to  abandon  all  that  country  except  Valdivia,  Osorno,  and  a  few  fortresses  on 
the  Biobio.     In  18 10  the  Chilians  revolted  against  the  Spanish  dominion,  and 
on  Sept.  18  declared  themselves  independent.     This  action  led  to  a  war  that 
ended  in  18 14  with  the  defeat  of  the  Chilians  by  the  Spaniards  at  Rancagua. 
Three  years  later  the  country  was  entered  from  La  Plata  by  San  Martin,  who 
by  the  battles  of  Chacabuco,  Feb.  12,  18 17,  and  Maypu,  April  5,  18 18,  effected 
the  liberation  of  the  country,  though  the  Spaniards  held  possession  of  the 
island  of  Chiloe  till  January,  1826.    The  constitution  was  adopted  1824.  subse- 
quently remodelled,  and  proclaimed  1 830.     Spain  recognized  the  republic  in 
April,  1844.    In  1865  Chili,  Peru,  Bolivia,  and  Ecuador  were  engaged  in  a  war 
with  Spain,  during  which  Spanish  vessels  bombarded  Valparaiso  and  destroyed 
$1 5,000,000  worth  of  property.    The  European  powers  compelled  Spain  to  raise 
the  blockade  of  the  port,  and  through  the  mediation  of  the  United  States  a 
treaty  of  peace  between  Chili  and  Spain  was  signed  in  1869.     After  the  war  of' 
1879  81    with    Peru   and  Bolivia,   Chili  extended    its  northern   frontier  from 
latitude  24°  to   19°  south,  and  ceded  all  of  Patagonia  east  of  the  crest  of  the 
Andes  to  the  Argentine  Republic. 


„:  ♦ 


CITY  OF   SANTIAGO. 

ANTIAGO,  the  capital  of  the  republic,  is  in  the  plain  of  the  same 
name,  on  the  Mapocho,  a  branch  of  the  Maypu  River,  at  an  eleva- 
tion of  1,690  feet  above  the  sea-level,  and  in  latitude  33°  25'  south, 
and  longitude  70°  38'  west.  The  city  is  laid  out  in  rectangular  and  equal 
squares,  called  quadras;  the  principal  streets  are  about  forty-five  feet  wide; 
and  the  houses  are  generally  but  one  story  high,  large  and  containing  many 
rooms,  arranged  round  three  quadrangular  squares,  called  patios.  The  Plaza 
Mayor,  or  great  public  square,  occupies  the  space  of  a  whole  quadra  in  the 
centre  of  the  city,  and  has  a  handsome  bronze  fountain,  with  a  large  hewn- 
stone  basin,  in  the  centre,  and  beautiful  parterres  of  grass  and  flowers.  The 
president's  palace,  the  penitentiary,  and  the  chamber  of  justice  stand  on  the 
north-west  side,  and  the  massive  stone  cathedral  and  the  archbishop's  palace, 
a  striking  building  in  the  Moorish  style  of  architecture,  on  the  south-west. 
Other  public  buildings  of  note  are  the  mint,  national  museum,  treasury,  legis- 
lative hall,  the  handsomest  theatre  in  South  America,  and  many  churches  and 
•convents — especially  those  of  San  Domingo,  San  Francisco,  and  San  Augustin  ; 
the  University,  the  military  academy,  the  academy  of  sciences,  two  national 
■colleges,  a  number  of  primary  schools,  and  the  large  public  library.  There 
are  also  two  large  and  well-endowed  hospitals,  that  of  San  Juan  de  Dios  for 
males,  and  that  of  San  Francisco  de  Borjas  for  females.  A  beautiful  paseo, 
combining  the  featu^-es  of  a  public  park,  promenade,  and  drive,  extends  along 
the  banks  of  the  river  a  distance  of  two  miles,  and  contains  statues  of  many 
of  Chili's  most  celebrated  men.  besides  one  of  Abraham  Lincoln.  The  city 
is  defended  by  two  fortresses  on  the  crown  of  the  hill  of  Santa  Lucia,  which 
are  much  visited  by  tourists  on  account  of  the  excellent  view  of  the  Andes 
they  afford.  Near  the  hill  on  the  north  is  the  tajamar,  or  breakwater,  raised 
to  protect  the  city  from  the  overflow  of  the  Mapocho  during  the  melting 
of  the  mountain  snows.  The  road  from  Santiago  to  Valparaiso,  a  distance  of 
ninety  miles,  is  the  best  artificial  road  in  South  America,  and  practicable  for 
carriages  though  it  crosses  three  ranges  of  steep  hills.  A  terrible  disaster 
occurred  in  Santiago  on  Dec.  8,  1863.  A  church  belonging  to  the  Jesuits  had 
been  dedicated  in  1857  to  the  Immaculate  Conception,  and  a  confraternity 
had  been  foundcil  with  which  nearly  all  the  best  families  in  the  city  were 
affiliated.     In  each  year  from   November  8  to  December  8,  a  celebration  was 


if: 


t       \ 


t/K 


f'58 


THE  COUNTRIES   OF  SOUTH  AMERICA. 


held  every  evening,  terminating  on  the  day  of  the  Conception.  On  the  last 
evening  some  of  the  muslin  drapery  of  the  image  of  the  Virgin  caught  fire, 
and  in  fifteen  minutes  2,500  corpses  were  all  that  remained  of  the  congrega- 
tion. A  grand  Martyrs'  Monument  has  since  been  erected  to  the  memory  of 
those  who  perished.  In  1875  an  international  exhibition  was  held  in  the  city. 
The  population  of  Santiago  was  estimated  in  ibSo  at  193,517. 


Wr     iA- 


CITY   OF   VALPARAISO. 

ALPARAISO,  the  principal  port  of  the  republic,  is  situated  in  lati- 
tude 33°  l'  south,  and  longitude  71°  45'  west,  on  a  bay  opening  di- 
rectly into  the  Pacific  Ocean,  having  three  well-sheltered  sides  and 
the  fourth  exposed  to  the  winds  from  the  north.  It  consisted  previous  to  1854 
of  a  long,  narrow  street,  built  under  a  cliff  and  following  the  contour  of  the 
shore  close  to  the  sea-side.  Painted  piazzas  are  substituted  for  balconies 
almost  at  every  house,  and  their  different  colors  give  the  city  a  bright  and 
gay  appearance.  Above  the  heights  a  handsome  suburb  has  been  laid  out 
chiefly  by  American,  English,  and  French  merchants.  The  harbor  is  defended 
by  three  forts  and  a  powerful  water  battery,  is  easy  of  entrance,  and  has  nine 
fathoms  of  water  close  in  shore.  It  is  by  fi'r  the  best  along  the  American 
coast  of  the  South  Pacific,  and  is  annually  entered  by  over  1.500  vessels. 
The  custom-house,  government  ware-houses,  ship-building  yards,  the  English, 
French,  and  United  States  hospitals  under  charge  of  resident  physicians,  the 
Protestant  cemetery,  and  several  of  the  churches  are  the  chief  local  attrac- 
tions. The  population  in  1886  numbered  100,926,  of  whom  75,OJ(0  were 
natives,  6,500  British,  3,750  French,  and  1,500  Italians.  The  city  was  almost 
entirely  destroyed  by  an  earthquake  in  1822,  suffered  severely  from  a  fire  in 
1858,  and  was  bombarded  by  the  Spaniards  in  1866.  These  calamities  per- 
mitted avast  improvement  in  the  rebuilding  of  the  city;  and  several  public 
w  nrks,  such  as  laying  out  the  government  square  on  which  the  Exchange  is 
located,  and  \'ictoria  square  which  has  a  theatre,  the  construction  of  a  mole 
for  the  loading  and  discharge  of  vessels  in  the  harbor,  and  the  opening  of 
coal  mines  in  the  south  and  quicksilver  mines  in  the  hills  b  ick  of  the  city, 
have  since  been  carried  out.  The  city  is  lighted  with  gas,  possesses  street 
railroads,  banks,  foundries,  and  various  manufactories,  and  b  r  inccted  with 
the  capital  by  railroad  and  telegraph. 


THE    REPUBLIC   OF   PERU. 

ERU,  the  traditional  home  of  the  Incas,  the  land  of  extreme  antiq- 
uity and  of  fabulous  silver  wealth,  and  one  of  the  chief  maritime 
nations  of  South  America,  lies  on  the  west  coast  of  the  continent, 
is  bounded  on  the  north  by  Ecuador,  on  the  east  by  Brazil  and  Bolivia,  on 
the  south  by  Chili,  and  on  the  west  by  the  Pacific  Ocean.  Previous  to  the 
disastrous  war  with  Chili,  1879-81,  its  territory  lay  between  latitude  3°  20'  and 
22°  20'  south,  and  longitude  67°and  81°  26'  west,  and  embraced  an  area  of 
504,000  square  miles.  It  had  a  width  varyinf^f  from  60  to  750  miles,  a  total 
length  of  1.250  miles,  excepting  the  coast  line  which  was  1,300  miles,  and  a 
population  of  3,400,000.  In  1886  its  area  was  estimated  at  somewhat  less 
than  500,000  square  miles,  and  its  population  at  2,600,000.  Chili  took  from  it 
the  littoral  province  of  Tarapaca  by  the  treaty  of  peace,  leaving  it  divided 
politically  into  seventeen  departments  and  one  littoral  province,  Callao. 

The  entire  length  of  country  is  traversed  by  two  parallel  ranges  of  the 
Andes,  dividing  the  surface  into  the  coast,  the  sierra,  and  the  montana 
regions.  The  first  is  a  sandy  waste,  from  twenty  to  sixty  miles  in  width  ;  the 
second  is  about  100  miles  wide,  covers  150,000  square  miles,  or  one-third  the 
entire  territory  of  the  country,  contains  nine-tenths  of  the  cultivated  area, 
and  four-fifths  of  the  population  ;  and  the  third  is  a  comparatively  little  known 
tract,  supposed  to  be  quite  fertile,  containing  vast  navigable  rivers,  and  in- 
habited chiefly  by  Indians  still  uncivilized.  The  climate  is  dry  and  hot  on 
the  coast,  cold  in  tlu  central  or  elevated  portion,  and  hot  again  in  Mie  ex- 
treme ea:^t.  The  mountains  are  rich  in  minerals,  and  the  valleys  very  fertile. 
Agriculture  is  carried  on  in  the  interior  in  a  primitive  manner,  but  in  other 
localities  modern  appliances  are  used.  Near  the  coast  there  are  many  large 
plantations  of  cotton  and  sugar,  on  which  the  greater  part  of  the  work  is  done 
by  steam.  The  forests  abound  in  cedar,  ebony,  walnut,  and  mahogany,  as 
well  as  the  cinchona  tree  from  which  quinine  is  made,  rubber,  bread-fruit  tree, 
and  a  variety  of  spices.  The  wild  animals  are  the  puma,  jaguar,  bear,  deer, 
boar,  armadillo,  fo.x,  and  several  species  of  the  monkey  famil\-.  Alligators 
swarm  the  rivers,  and  seals  and  tortoises  disport  along  the  coast,  while  the 
rivers  and  lakes  sujjjjly  nuincr(His  edible  fish,  including  the  princely  salmon. 

Though  its  sources  of  mineral  wealth  are  many  and  exceedingly  valuable, 


I 


^  H 


*  #■ 


3> 


C6o 


THE  COUNTRIES   OF   SOUTH  AMERICA: 


a. 


Si\''  ;'■ 


m 


and  the  productions  '^f  ita  soil  rorrespnndingly  rich  both  for  domestic  con- 
sumption and  e:vi;ort,  its  entire  yield  of  natural,  cultivated,  and  manufactured 
articles  is  interior  in  aggregate  value  to  that  of  the  millions  of  tons  of  guano 
that  have  been  deposited  by  birds  along  the  seacoast  and  on  the  neighboring 
islands,  extending  in  some  places  to  a  depth  of  eighty  feet.  Next  in  value 
are  the  deposits  of  nitrate  of  soda  in  the  province  of  Xarapaca.  The  hand- 
ling of  these  articles  constituted  a  government  monopoly  for  many  years; 
but  Chili  took  possession  of  both  industries  after  the  war  of  1879-81.  There 
are  about  15,000  mines  of  all  kinds  in  the  country,  about  600  of  which  are 
regularly  worked,  and  a  single  one  of  silver  has  an  annual  yield  of  i,;oo,ooo 
ounces.  In  1878  there  were  exported  450,000  tons  of  guano,  250,000  tons 
of  saltpetre,  and  200,000  tons  of  sugar.  Recent  trade  of  all  kinds  with  the 
United  States  has  been,  exports:  (1884)  $2,077,645,(1885)  $1,764,890,(1886) 
$963,480,  (1887)  $461,726;  imports:  (1884)  $1,043,902,(1885)  $735-979- (1886) 
§798.577.  (1887)  $717,968.  The  total  national  indebtedness  amounted  to 
$373,456,940  on  July  I,  1886,  and  the  budget  for  1887-8  estimated  the  reven- 
ues at  $16,183,674,  and  the  expenditures  at  $13,632,386. 

The  government  is  modelled  after  that  of  the  United  States.  The  execu- 
tive authority  is  vested  in  a  president  for  a  term  of  four  years,  and  the  legis- 
lative in  a  senate  of  forty-four  members  and  a  house  of  1 10  representatives. 
The  established  church  is  the  Roman  Catholic,  and  none  others  are  tolerated. 
Education  is  compulsory  and  gratuitous,  and  is  well  caied  for  by  the  govern- 
ment and  large  cities.-  The  country  is  full  of  antiquarian  remains,  especially 
in  the  line  of  various  structures,  temples,  aqueducts,  walls,  and  monuments, 
composed  of  enormous  blocks  of  stone. 

Peru  was  an  old  country  when  the  Spaniards  disco\  err  •  it  early  in  <-Iie  six- 
teenth century,  <"or  they  found  it  inhabited  by  the  Quichuas  and  Aynaras, 
two  powerful  .aces  in  subjection  to  the  Inca  dynasty.  It  became  ana  re- 
mained a  viceroyalty  of  Spain  till  1821,  when  the  Argentine  general,  Toi^e  de 
San  Martin,  after  a  successful  invasion,  proclaimed  its  independence.  He  held 
the  protectorship  a  short  time,  and  was  succeeded  by  General  Bolivar,  who 
defeated  the  Spaniards  in  1824,  and  drove  them  from  their  last  stronghold, 
Callao,  two  years  later.  A  republican  form  of  government  was  established 
in  1825;  th;  Peru-Bolivian  confederation  was  formed  1836,  and  overturned 
1839;  slavery  was  abolished  1855;  Bolivia,  Chili,  and  Ecuador  became  allies 
of  Peru  <n  a  war  with  Sp^m  1866;  and  a  war  was  waged  between  Peru  and 
Chili   i87o-i:.'3!,  which   resulted,  after  brilliant  exploits  on  swa  and  land  by 


THEIR   CAPITALS   AND   SEAPORTS. 


66i 


both  countries,  in  the  conquest  of  the  southern  provinces   n   Peru,  thi  loss  jf 
its  sea-coast  territory  and  the  occupation  of  its  beautiful  capital,  Lima. 


m 


CITY  OF   LIMA. 

IMA — Ciudad  de  los  Reyes — "  The  City  of  the  Kings,"  as  it  was  first 
called,  founded  Jan.  6,  1535  (O.  S.),  by  Pizarro,  is  the  most  inter- 
esting, historically,  of  all  the  capitals  reared  by  the  Spaniards,  and 
was  for  300  years  the  seat  of  "  the  haughtiest  and  perhaps  the  most  luxurious 
and  profligate  of  tne  Viceregal  Courts."  Its  viceroys  were  invested  with  royal 
power,  and  ruled  in  the  height  of  Peruvian  glory.  No  city  had  such  convents, 
and  such  churches,  none  were  endowed  with  such  a  prodigality  of  wealth.  In- 
Lima  was  the  College  of  San  Marcos,  the  oldest  university  in  America,  founded 
fifty-six  years  before  the  English  landed  in  Virginia,  and  sixty-nine  before  the 
Mayflower  pilgrims  set  foot  on  Plymouth  Rock.  There,  too,  according  to 
the  Hon.  E.  George  Squier,  the  Viceroy  La  Palata  rode  through  the  streets 
of  his  cap'tal  in  168 1  on  a  horse  whose  mane  was  strung  with  pearls,  and 
whose  shoes  were  of  gold,  over  a  pavement  of  solid  ingots  of  silver. 

The  city,  which  is  the  capital  of  the  republic  and  of  the  department  and 
province  of  the  same  name,  is  situated  on  the  Rimac  River,  six  miles  from 
Callao,  its  seaport  on  the  Pacific,  and  had  a  population  in  1881  of  about  125,- 
000.  The  city  stands  on  high  ground  in  a  spacious  and  fertile  valley,  is  about 
two  miles  in  extent,  is  surrounded  by  two  walls,  and  from  its  numerous  domes 
and  spires  has  an  imposing  and  picturesque  appearance  at  a  distance.  It  is 
regularly  laid  out  in  square  blocks  of  houses  about  400  feet  each  way,  the 
houses  are  built  low  on  account  of  frequent  earthquakes,  and  there  are  thirty- 
three  public  squares,  the  most  spacious  being  the  Plaza  Mayor,  which  cm- 
braces  an  area  of  nine  acres  in  the  centre  of  the  city,  and  is  com  ccted  with 
a  grand  bridge  across  the  Rimac  by  a  magnificent  boulevard.  On  the  north 
side  of  this  square  is  the  government  palace,  a  large  but  gloomy-looking 
edifice,  formerly  occupied  by  the  viceroys,  and,  under  the  republic,  by  the 
courts.  On  the  east  side  are  the  cathedral,  a  handsome  building  of  con- 
siderable extent,  built  of  stone,  with  two  towers  133  feet  high,  and  most  lav- 
ishly and  artistically  ornamented  and  furnished  within,  and  the-archiepiscopal 
palace,  now  in  part  used  by  the  congress.  On  the  west  side  are  the  town 
hall  and  the  city  prison,  and  on  the  south  are  private  residences,  well  built 


662 


THE  COUNTRIES   OF   SOUTH  AMERICA: 


and  richly  furnished.  All  the  above  public  buildings  were  erected  by  Fran- 
cisco Pizarro,  whose  ashes  repose  beneath  the  grand  altar  in  the  cathedral. 
There  are  fifty-six  other  ecclesiastical  edifices,  one  of  the  most  splendid  of 
which  is  the  immense  church  of  San  Pedro,  founded  in  1598,  which  has  seven- 
teen altars,  and  contains  the  national  library.  A  fountain  stands  in  each  of 
the  four  corners  of  the  Plaza  Mayor,  and  one  in  the  centre  surrounded  by  a 
gorgeous  circular  garden.  In  the  centre  of  the  Plaza  de  la  Independencia  is 
an  equestrian  statue  of  General  Bolivar.  In  1873  a  portion  of  the  ancient 
wall  in  the  southwesterii  part  of  the  city  was  pulled  down,  and  a  beautiful 
boulevard  was  laid  out,  and  named  in  honor  of  Henry  Meiggs,  the  American 
engineer  and  builder  of  Peru's  great  railroad  over  and  through  the  mountains. 
The  famous  marble  statue  of  Columbus  was  then  erected  between  the  boule- 
vard and  the  exhibition  building.  There  are  eight  national  colleges  in  the 
city,  an  ecclesiastical  seminary,  a  medical  college,  a  normal  school,  a  military 
and  naval  institute,  an  industrial  municipal  school,  a  botanic  garden,  a  national 
museum,  the  largest  circus  for  bull-fighting  in  the  world,  two  theatres,  and 
numerous  public  baths.  The  exports  and  imports  of  the  city  together  aver- 
age over  $25,000,000  per  annum.  Lima  suffered  severely  from  earthquakes  in 
1630,  1687,  1746,  1806,  D.nd  1828. 


CITY  OF   CALLAO. 

ALLAO,  the  port  of  Lima  and  principal  seaport  of  Peru,  is  a  fortified 
city  on  the  Pacific  Ocean,  six  miles  by  railroad  from  the  capital.  It 
is  in  latitude  12"  4'  s-->uth,  and  longtitude  yy°  13'  west,  has  an  ad- 
mirable harbor  and  roadstead  sheltered  by  t\\o  islands,  and  further  improved 
by  harbor  walls,  floating  and  wet  docks,  and  a  costly  mole.  It  is  defended  by 
the  fortress  of  San  Felipe,  from  whose  turrets  the  flag  of  Castile  and  Leon 
f.oated  for  the  last  time  on  the  American  continent  as  the  emblem  of  Spanish 
authority.  The  city  in  ^ms  wo,  k.-,  sugar  refineries,  machine  shops,  and  steam 
cranes  for  loading  and  -.inloailing  vessels.  The  chief  exports  are  guano,  gold, 
silver,  saltpetre,  cinchona,  sugar,  hid'ts,  raw  cotton,  copper,  and  Indian  wool. 
Its  population  in  1886  was  33,502.  Callao  was  destroyed  by  an  earthquake 
in  1746,  and  sustained  great  damage  and  loss  of  life  by  a  tidal  wave  in  January, 
1878.  The  blockade  of  the  port  by  the  Chilians  in  the  war  of  1 880-1  was  a 
very  serious  mat'oT  for  the   Peruvians,  as  it  was  the  rendezvous  of  all    the 


THEIR   CAPITALS  AND   SEAPORTS. 


663 


lines  of  foreign  steamships,  and  the  point  at  which  the  commercial  mails  of 
all  nations  engaged  in  South  Pacific  trade  were  made  up.  The  harbor  was 
full  of  vessels  from  all  parts  of  the  world  when  the  blockade  was  established ; 
but  as  no  foreign  power  has  a  right  to  interfere  in  a  war  between  the  South 
American  republics,  their  presence  could  do  Peru  no  good. 


THE  UNITED  STATES  of  COLOMBIA. 

I  HE  United  States  of  Colombia  is  a  republic  in  the  north-western 
part  of  South  America,  includes  the  Isthmus  of  Panama,  which 
connects  the  two  continents,  was  formerly  known  as  New  Granada, 
has  an  area  of  586,(X)0  square  miles,  and  had  a  population  in  1886  of  3,500,000. 
It  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  the  Caribbean  Sea,  on  the  northeast  and  east 
by  Venezuela,  on  the  southeast  and  south  by  Brazil  and  Ecuador,  and  on  the 
west  by  the  Pacific  Ocean.  The  republic  is  composed  of  nine  states,  An- 
tioquia,  Bolivar,  Boyaca,  Cauci,  Cundinamarca,  Magdalena,  Panama,  Santan- 
der,  and  Tolima;  the  chief  cities  are  Bogata,  Cartagena,  Santa  Marta,  Sabanilla 
•or  Baranquilla,  Rio  Hicha,  Buenaventura,  Panama,  and  Lumaco;  and  the 
capital  is  Bogota,  on  the  San  Francisco  River.  The  Andes  Mountains  here 
have  three  great  ranges,  the  eastern,  central,  and  western,  between  which  are 
the  large  valleys  of  Cauca  and  Magdalena.  The  eastern  branches  have  a  series 
of  table-lands  from  8,000  to  14,000  feet  above  the  sea  level,  and  in  the  louth- 
•ern  part  are  the  table-lands  of  Pasto  and  Luquerres,  with  a  mean  elevation  of 
14,000  feet.  The  climate  on  the  highlands  is  mild  and  healthful ;  but  on  the 
lowlands  and  along  the  coast  it  is  intensely  hot. 

The  republic  is  exceedingly  rich  in  natural  resources.  There  is  scarcely 
a  state  which  docs  not  possess  in  its  soil  more  or  less  gold;  and  even  though 
rudely  operated  by  a  few  laborers  they  produced  annually  between  187^  and 
1880  from  $10,000,000  to  $12,000,000  worth  of  that  metal.  The  district  of 
Choco  has  produced  nearly  all  the  platinum,  and  that  of  Muzo  the  emeralds 
that  have  abounded  in  foreign  markets  for  several  years;  and  ir,  arious  parts 
of  the  country  are  mines  of  silver,  copper,  lead,  iron,  quicksilver,  coal,  ame- 
thysts, and  other  varietie.-.  of  valuable  stones  and  minerals.  Wheat,  potatoes, 
the  breadfruit,  Peruvian  bark,  cedar,  balsam,  lignum  vitai,  mahogany,  rub- 
ber, and  vanilla  thrive  with  little  cultivation.  Among  the  peculiar  varieties 
>of  tree-growth  are  three  which  have  extraordinary  virtues:  one  as  a  specific 


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664 


THE  COUNTRIES   OF   SOUTH    AMERICA: 


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against    inflammation,    the  second  for  stanching  effusion    of  the    blood,  and 
the  third  for  instantaneously  stopping  bleeding  at  the  nose. 

In  1 886  the  army  consisted  of  3,000  men.  The  law  makes  one  per  cent, 
of  the  male  population  liable  to  be  called  to  arms  in  case  of  war.  The  funded 
debt  of  the  republic  on  Dec.  31,  1884,  amounted  to  $26,000,000,  of  which 
$11,000,000  were  on  foreign  account.  The  commercial  dealings  with  the 
United  States  showed  exports  (1885)  $2,342,077;  (1886)  $3,008,921;  and  im- 
ports (1885)  $5,397,412;  (1886)  $5,294,798.  The  transit  trade  through  the  ports 
of  Panama  and  Aspinwall  is  of  far  greater  importance  than  the  direct  com- 
merce, its  value  being  estimated  at  not  less  than  $85,000,000  per  annum. 

Since  the  early  history  of  this  continent  the  cutting  of  a  passage  through 
the  Isthmus,  which  would  unite  the  two  great  oceans,  has  been  the  object  of 
constant  solicitude  and  speculation  on  the  part  of  commercial  nations,  en- 
te. prising  engineers,  and  far-seeing  publicists;  and  since  the  beginning  of  the 
sixteenth  century  innumerable  surveys  have  been  made  for  a  connecting  canal 
through  Tehuantepec,  Honduras,  Nicaragua,  and  Panama.  In  the  early  part 
of  1888  the  great  project  seemed  in  a  fairway  toward  accomplishment,  M.  de 
Lesseps  being  then  well  advanced  on  his  Panama  ship-canal,  and  work  on 
a  second,  through  Nicaragua,  in  which  the  United  States  was  more  particu- 
larly interested,  being  actively  opened.  But  in  the  latter  part  of  1888  the 
French  scheme  became  seriously  impaired  by  the  bankruptcy  of  the  company, 
and  in  May,  1889,  on  the  failure  of  the  French  people  to  respond  with  sufficien!: 
contributions,  and  the  government  to  vote  a  subsidy  or  sanction  a  public  lot  • 
tery  in  its  interest,  th  '  scheme  was  abandoned,  and  all  the  work  done  reverted 
to  the  possession  of  tiic  Colombian  government.  This  failure  of  the  French 
project  gave  renewed  encouragement  to  the  advocates  of  the  "American  plan  " 
for  Nicaragua.  The  United  States  Congress  passed  a  bill  creating  a  corpora- 
tion for  prosecuting  the  work,  the  secretary  of  the  navy  granted  a  distin- 
guished ofificer  a  year's  leave  of  absence  to  enable  him  to  become  construct- 
ing engineer,  and  in  May,  1889,  the  first  shipment  of  men  and  machinery  was 
made  from  New  York  by  the  corporation.  It  is  proposed  to  improve  the 
capacious  and  long  neglected  harbor  of  Greytown — designed  for  one  termini 
by  dredging  out  the  accumulated  silt,  and  building  a  long  breakwater.  Esti- 
mated cost,  $2,000,000. 

New  Granada  was  discovered  by  Alonzo  de  Ojeda  in  1499;  the  first  settle- 
ment was  made  at  Santa  Maria  la  Antigua  in  15 10;  but  the  interior  of  the 
country  was  only  conquered  toward  tlie  middle  of  the  sixteenth  century  by 


THEIR   CAPITALS  AND  SEAI'ORTS. 


665 


Benalcazar  and  Ximenes  de  Quesneda,  who  founded  Santa  Fc  dc  liogata  in 
1545.  The  Spaniards  remained  in  possession  of  the  country  till  181 1,  when 
New  Granada  proclaimed  its  independence,  and  the  war  that  ensueti  '  ■  .v.v!  till 
1 82 1.  New  Granada,  Venezuela,  Ecuador,  and  Panama  formed  a  union  ini 
1823.  This  was  dissolved  1 831,  and  the  territory  was  divided  between  Vene- 
zuela, New  Granada,  and  Ecuador.  A  confederation  was  formed  1857,  and  a 
new  constitution  proclaimed  the  following  year.  The  present  form  of  govern- 
ment was  established  1861,  and  the  present  constitution  adopted  1863. 
Like  all  South  American  countries,  this  has  been  kept  in  turmoil  and  deluged 
with  blood  through  the  machinations  of  ambitious  men,  and  has  had  compar- 
atively few  years  of  peaceful  government. 


CITY  OF   BOGOTA. 

|OGOTA,  the  chief  crty  and  capital  of  the  republic,  is  situated  in 
latitude  4°  36'  north,  and  longitude  74°  13'  59'  west,  and  at  the 
junction  of  the  San  Francisco  River  with  the  Rio  de  Bogata,  is 
on  a  wide  plateau  8,800  feet  above  sea  level,  and  has  a  climate  somewhat 
similar  to  that  of  autumn  in  the  middle  portion  of  the  United  States.  The 
city  is  well-built,  with  houses  averaging  two  stories  in  height ;  but  the  streets 
are  exceedingly  narrow,  and  few  will  admit  of  the  passage  of  ordinary 
vehicles.  The  residences  are  constructed  of  adobe  in  the  form  of  a  hollow 
square,  are  roofed  with  tiles,  and  inclose  pretty  court-yards  and  flower  gar- 
dens. The  streets  are  paved  with  cobble-stones  and  are  mainly  used  for 
laundry  purposes,  having  drainage  ditches  in  the  centre  supplied  with  water 
from  pipes  at  the  houses  on  the  corners,  and  in  these  ditches  the  jjeople  wash 
their  clothing.  There  is  a  grand  plaza  in  the  centre  of  the  city,  with  the 
cathedral  on  one  side  and  the  president's  palace  and  the  government  houses 
on  the  other;  and  in  the  centre  is  a  bronze  statue  of  Simon  Bolivar  on  a 
pedestal  of  stones  contfibuted  by  the  different  states  in  the  republic.  The 
cathedral  is  300  feet  long  and  100  wide,  and  contains  a  large  number  of  mag- 
nificent paintings  and  decorations  placed  there  by  the  Spaniards.  There  are 
thirty-six  other  churches,  two  of  which  are  on  the  mountains,  1,500  feet  above 
the  city,  and  a  number  of  monasteries  and  convents.  Other  prominent  build- 
ings are  the  market,  where  one  can  buy  the  fruits  and  vegetables  of  the  tor- 
rid and  temperate  zones,  the  University  of  Bogata,  which  has  an  astronomi- 


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Till-:  COUNTRIES  OK  SOUTH   ami:kica; 


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cal  observatory  rankin^j  next  after  the  National  Observiitory  at  Washington, 
U.C,  three  Jesuit  colleges,  the  national  acatlemy,  the  public  library,  the  mint, 
the  hospital  of  San  Juan  dc  Dios,  the  opera  house,  and  the  theatre.  There  are 
mines  of  silver,  gold,  and  precious  stones  in  its  immediate  vicinity.  One  of 
the  greatest  attractions  to  the  touris*-  is  the  grand  cataract  of  Tequendama,  a 
few  miles  below  the  city,  where  the  Bogota  River  has  a  perpendicular  fall  of 
650  feet. 

The  prevailing  religion  is  the  Roman  Catholic,  but  there  are  no  restrictions 
against  other  forms.  Education  is  highly  appreciated  and  liberally  advanced. 
The  city  has  suffered  severely  several  times  from  earthquakes,  and  the  mas- 
sive cathedral  was  greatly  damaged  by  one  in  1827.  It  is  on  account  of  the 
prevalence  of  earthquakes  that  nearly  all  the  buildings  are  but  one  and  two 
stories  in  height.  The  chief  exports  of  Bogota  are  gold,  silver,  copper,  tobacco, 
coffee,  cocoanuts,  and  rubber.     The  population  in  1886  was  40,883. 


THE   REPUBLIC   OF   VENEZUELA. 

HE  republic  of  Venezuela  is  in  the  extreme  north  of  South  America, 
between  latitude  1°  8'  and  12°  16'  north,  and  longitude  60°  and 
73°  17'  west,  and  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  the  Caribbean  Sea, 
on  the  east  by  the  Atlantic  Ocean  and  British  Guiana,  on  the  south  by  Brazil, 
and  on  the  west  by  the  United  States  of  Colombia.  According  to  a  cen- 
sus taken  in  1884,  it  had  an  area  of  632,695  square  miles  and  a  population  of 
2,121,988.  Politically  it  is  divided  into  eight  states,  one  federal  district,  eight 
territories,  and  two  national  settlements.  The  country  is  traversed  by  two 
distinct  mountain  systems  north  and  south  of  the  Orinoco  River,  with  an 
average  height  of  from  5,000  to  6,500  feet;  but  in  the  Sierra  Nevadas  there 
are  two  peaks  which  reach  an  altitude  of  15,000  feet.  Venezuela  is  watered 
by  the  Orinoco  with  its  400  navigable  tributaries,  a  large  number  of  streams 
which  empty  into  the  Caribbean  Sea,  and  numerous. lagoons  and  lakes. 

The  soil  is  exceedingly  fertile,  and  the  climate  is  divided  into  hot,  temper- 
ate, and  cold  according  to  location.  In  mineral  resources  the  country  poss- 
esses gold  mines  in  the  Yuruari  district,  which  are  among  the  richest  in  the 
world  and  to  which  England  laid  semi-ofificial  claim  in  the  Qarly  part  of  1888. 
There  are  also  considerable  veins  of  silver,  platinum,  copper,  iron,  tin,  zinc, 
and  quicksilver,  as  well  as  mines  of  diamonds  and  other  precious  stones.     But 


THEIR   CAPITALS   AND   SEAPORTS. 


667 


though  the  total  mineral  yield  of  1884  reached  the  value  of  $4,452,050,  of 
which  $3,243,380  represented  the  output  of  gold,  the  mining  industry  has 
never  been  adequately  developed ;  and  for  many  years  the  country  has  been 
distinguished  among  its  sister  republics  as  a  stock-raising  and  agricultural 
section.  In  1873  the  chief  occupation  of  the  people  was  cattle-raising,  and 
the  country  possessed  1,389,800  head  of  cattle,  1,128,273  sheep  and  goats, 
362,579  swine,  93,800  horses,  and  47,200  mules.  In  eleven  years  this  stock 
had  much  more  than  doubled,  the  reports  for  1884  showing  2,926,733  cattle, 
3,490,563  sheep  and  goats,  976,500  swine,  291,603  horses,  and  906,467  mules. 
The  agricultural  industry  was  represented  that  year  by  852,500  acres  under 
cultivation,  and  a  yield  of  coffee,  the  chief  product,  worth  $11,255,000,  of 
sugar  $7,686,000,  of  corn  $6,000,000,  and  of  cocoa  $2,998,000.  The  principal 
articles  of  export  are  coffee,  cattle,  sugar,  hides,  gold,  cocoa,  tallow,  horses, 
skins,  and  cabinet  woods;  and  of  import,  cotton,  linen,  silk,  flour,  provisions, 
hardware,  and  wines.  The  custom-house  reports  show  the  recent  trade  with 
the  United  States  as  follows:  exports:  (1880)  $6,039,092,  (1886)  $5,791,621, 
(1887)  $8,261,271;  imports:  (1880)  $2,330,745,  (1886)  $2,695,588,  (1887)  $2,- 
827,010. 

The  constitution  of  Venezuela  is  a  close  imitation  of  that  of  the  Unitcrl 
States,  and  guarantees  personal  and  religious  freedom  to  every  citizen. 
Like  all  South  American  countries  the  prevailing  form  of  religion  is  the 
Roman  Catholic,  but  all  its  clergy  are  subordinate  to  the  civil  authorities, 
and  tfier*  are  no  restrictions  upon  the  observance  of  other  forms.  Its  edu- 
cational system  is  comprehensive,  progressive,  and  handsomely  supported. 
There  are  two  large  universities,  six  federal  schools  of  the  first  class  and 
fourteen  of  the  second,  four  influential  normal  schools,  twenty-four  high 
grade  private  schools,  nine  national  colleges  for  girls,  a  polytechnic  institute, 
a  school  of  arts  and  trades,  a  naval  institute,  ;ind  a  school  of  telegraphy. 
Elementary  education  has  been  compulsory  and  gratuitous  since  1870.  A 
generous  effort  has  been  made  to  establish  libraiies  throughout  the  country 
also.  In  1874  all  the  public  collections  of  books  and  documents,  and  those 
taken  from  the  suppressed  convents,  were  consolidated  in  the  library  of  the 
University  of  Caracas,  and  there  placed  at  the  convenience  of  the  public ;  and 
the  government  has  since  aided  in  the  establishment  of  public  libraries  in 
each  of  the  capitals  of  the  eight  states,  besides  founding  a  national  museum 
in  Caracas,  which  has  valuable  collections  in  the  departments  of  national  and 
natural  history,  ethnography,  zoology,  and  geology.     The  chief   cities  are 


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668 


THE  COUNTRIES   OF   SOUTH  AMERICA: 


Caracas,  the  capital,  population  (1887)  70,509,  Valencia,  36,145,  and  Barque- 
simeto,  28,918.     La  Guayra  is  the  seaport  of  the  capital. 

Columbus  discovered  the  island  of  Margarita  in  1498,  and  in  the  following 
year  Vespucci  examined  the  coast  as  far  as  the  present  Gulf  of  Maracaibo. 
A  lacustrine  Indian  village  was  found,  from  which  the  Spaniards  named  the 
place  Venezuela,  or  "  Little  Venice."  In  1520  the  first  permanent  settlement 
■was  made  at  Cumona;  in  1522  Barquesimeto  was  founded;  in  1555  Valencia; 
and  1557  Caracas.  During  a  revolution  in  1810-11  the  people  declared  their 
independence  of  Spain,  but  were  speedily  subjected.  In  1819  Venezuela,  New 
Granada,  and  Ecuador  united  in  forming  the  republic  of  Colombia,  which 
■was  recognized  by  Spain  in  1823.  Six  years  afterward  this  republic  was 
divided  into  three  independent  states,  Venezuela  adopting  a  federal  consti- 
tution in  1830.  The  country  has  been  more  free  from  revolutions  than  most 
of  the  other  South  American  republics,  though  it  has  had  its  share. 


CITY  OF  CARACAS. 

J  ARACAS,  the  capital  of  the  republic  as  well  as  of  the  federal  district, 
is  in  latitude  10°  30'  50'  north,  and  longitude  6^°  5'  west,  at  the 
eastern  end  of  the  valley  of  the  same  name,  and  nearly  3,000  feet 
above  sea-level.  Its  streets  and  avenues  cross  one  another  at  right  angles, 
forming  blocks  of  houses  in  almost  exact  squares.  The  city  is  well  drained 
and  abundantly  supplied  with  wholesome  water  by  several  streams,  and  is 
kept  remarkably  clean  by  a  host  of  carrion  vultures  that  sweep  through 
the  streets  and  devour  all  manner  of  garbage  and  pestiferous  refuse.  Four 
beautiful  avenues  d  vrit'e  the  city  into  equal  parts,  in  each  of  which  are 
numerous  plazas  or  public  squares,  handsome  gardens,  churches,  and  public 
buildings.  In  the  centre  is  the  Plaza  Bolivar,  and  from  it  extend  the  North, 
East,  South,  and  West  avenues  in  a  straight  line  far  out  into  the  country. 
The  streets  running  parallel  to  Avenues  North  and  South,  to  the  west  of 
those  thoroughfares,  are  designated  by  even  numbers,  and  those  to  the  east 
of  the  avenues  by  odd  numbers;  and  the  streets  crossing  these  at  right  angles 
are  given  odd  numbers  if  they  lie  to  the  north  of  Avenues  East  and  West, 
and  even  if  to  the  South.  Caracas  comprises  five  parishes,  Alta  Gracia  in  the 
northwest,  Cadelaria  in  the  northeast,  Santa  Rosalia  in  the  southeast,  Santa 
Teresa  in  the  south,  and  San  Juan  in  the  southwest.     In  each  of  these  there 


THEIR  CAPITALS  AND   SEAPORTS. 


669 


is  a  parisn  church,  and  in  addition  to  them  there  are  eight  other  churches  in 
the  federal  district,  which  includes  the  actual  extent  of  the  city  proper  and 
its  immediate  suburbs.  The  cathedral  and  the  church  of  Alta  Gracia  are  the 
most  notable  buildings,  though  the  University  of  Caracas,  the  National 
Museum  close  by,  and  several  hospitals  possess  much  national  and  local  im- 
portance. The  city  is  the  seat  of  a  Roman  Catholic  archbishop,  is  esteemed 
very  healthful,  and  has  been  visited  by  several  earthquakes,  one  of  which,  in 
1812,  caused  the  loss  of  over  I2,cxx)  lives.  According  to  the  last  census  there 
were  9,224  residences  in  the  federal  district,  sheltering  over  70,000  persons. 

La  Guayra,  the  seaport,  is  in  latitude  10°  36'  north,  and  66°  57'  west,  has 
a  deep  bay  and  a  good  anchorage,  but  is  wholly  unprotected  against  the  fu- 
rious east  winds.  It  is  the  most  extensively  frequented  port  on  the  coast,  is 
defended  by  the  fort  of  Cerro  Colorado  and  numerous  coast  batteries,  has  a 
healthful  climate  and  a  temperature  ranging  from  100°  to  1 10°  F.,  and  enjoys 
an  extensive  foreign  and  coasting  trade.  It  has  but  two  streets.'  The  popu- 
lation was  estimated  at  8,000  in  1887. 


THE  ARGENTINE   REPUBLIC. 

HE  Argentine  Republic,  an  independent  state  on  the  southeast 
coast  of  South  America,  previously  known  as  the  Provinces  of  the 
Rio  de  la  Plata  and  afterward  as  the  Argentine  Confederation,  is 
situated  between  latitude  22°  and  56°  south,  and  longitude  53°  30'  and  70° 
west,  and  since  1881  includes  a  large  portion  of  Patagonia  as  well  as  of  Terra 
del  Fuego.  It  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  Bolivia  and  Paraguay,  on  the  east 
by  Brazil,  Paraguay,  Uruguay,  and  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  on  the  south  by  the 
Atlantic  Ocean,  and  on  the  west  by  Chili,  the  Andes  Mountains  separating 
the  two  republics.  Previous  to  the  treaty  with  Chili  in  1881,  its  area  was 
estimated  at  841,000  square  miles,  and  its  population  at  1,768,681  in  1869, 
and  2,400,000,  exclusive  of  93,291  Indians,  in  1876.  After  the  cession  of  por- 
tions  of  Patagonia  and  Terra 'del  Fuego,  the  area  became  enlarged  to  over 
i,-:oo,ooo  square  miles,  and  the  population  to  2,942,000,  which  was  officially 
divided  as  follows:  natives,  2,121,000;  Italians,  154,000;  Spaniards,  73,200; 
French,  69,400;  English  and  Irish,  23,000;  and  natives  of  other  South  Ameri- 
can countries  the  remainder. 


.;  f 


6;o 


THE    "DUNTRIES  OF  SOUTH  AMERICA: 


Over  three-quarters  of  the  country  is  a  plain  whose  soil  has  been  highly 
enriched  by  decayed  vegetation,  and  is  well  watered  by  the  Parana  and  its 
numerous  tributaries.  Excepting  the  extreme  western  border  and  a  few  iso- 
lated hills  in  the  southeast,  the  country  is  exceedingly  level  and  well  adapted 
to  agriculture,  which  is  by  no  means  pursued  as  extensively  or  systematically 
as  the  natural  conditions  would  justify.  The  climate  is  in  general  healthy, 
though  the  atmosphere  is  very  dry.  In  the  south  it  resembles  that  of  Nor- 
way, near  Buenos  Ayres  that  of  England,  and  in  the  north  that  of  France. 
The  central  portion  is  subject  to  warm  north  winds  freighted  with  heavy 
vapor,  heavy  thunder-storms  are  frequent ;  the  pampero,  a  strong  southwest 
wind,  brings  dryness  from  the  Andes,  and  the  zonda,  a  lasting  north  wind, 
brings  intense  heat.  Physical  compensation,  however,  is  found  in  invariably 
cool  nights. 

The  natural  resources  are  considerable  and  valuable,  though  lacking  much 
of  the  means  and  spirit  of  development  seen  in  the  United  States.  There 
are  large  mines  of  gold,  silver,  iron — though  the  country  imports  from  Europe 
almost  all  it  needs — salt,  gypsum,  alum,  sulphur,  coal,  copper,  and  pumice- 
stone.  Along  the  Andes  and  on  the  banks  of  the  Paraguay  River  are  dense 
forests  of  important  woods,  while  palms  and  other  tropical  trees  abound  in 
the  north.  Animal  life  embraces  the  llama  of  the  plains;  jaguars,  pumas, 
capibara,  and  ounce  in  the  forests;  tapir  in  the  north;  deer  in  the  pampas 
or  grassy  plains;  the  condor,  Caracara  vulture,  parrots,  and  humming  birds 
of  exquisite  plumage  and  enchanting  song;  seals,  sea  lions,  and  sea  elephants 
are  taken  on  the  coast,  and  the  rivers  abound  with  a  variety  of  fish,  lamprey, 
trout,  skate,  and  other  table  favorites. 

The  chief  industries  are  the  cultivation  of  wheat,  corn,  oats,  sugar  cane, 
tobacco,  cotton,  flax,  and  peanuts,  the  breeding  of  cattle,  goats,  and  sheep, 
mining  and  smelting  of  gold,  silver,  and  copper,  and  the  manufacture  of 
guano,  furs,  ostrich  feathers,  and  Liebig's  extract  of  beef.  The  Pampa  horse 
roams  in  herds  of  8,000  to  10,000,  and  yields  for  export  annually  250,000 
hides,  while  cattle,  which  seem  to  swarm  the  plains  in  millions,  furnish  an 
avecage  of  3,000,000  hides  per  annum  for  export.  In  1881,  3,397  vessels  of 
413,419  tons  entered,  and  2,489  vessels  of  321,168  tons  cleared  the  various 
ports;  and  in  1882  the  exports — abput  one-half  hides  and  three-eighths  wool 
— aggregated  $58,4^1,000  an-!  the  imports  $59,270,000.  In  the  latter  year 
there  were  8,466  miles  of  telegraph  and  1,617  miles  of  railroad  in  operation. 

The  republic  is  composed  of  fourteen  provinces,  of  which  those  of  Buenos 


THEIR  CAPITALS  AND  SEAPORTS. 


671 


Ayres,  Mendoza,  Cordova,  Corricntes,  Salta,  and  Entre  Rios  are  the  most 
populous,  each  having  over  48,000  inhabitants.  The  country  is  governed 
according  to  a  constitution  adopted  in  1853  and  since  frequently  revised, 
which  invested  the  executive  authority  in  a  president  elected  by  representa- 
tives of  the  provinces  for  a  term  of  six  years,  the  legislative  in  a  congress 
composed  of  a  house  of  representatives  of  fifty-four  members  and  a  senate 
of  two  members  from  each  province,  and  the  judiciary  in  a  supreme  court 
and  a  number  of  subordinate  ones.  The  prevailing  form  of  religion  is  the 
Roman  Catholic,  though  all  others  are  tolerated,  Buenos  Ayres  has  an 
archbishop,  and  the  Littoral,  Cordova,  Cuyo,  and  Salta  a  bishop  each.  Prior 
to  1882  but  little  attention  was  paid  the  cause  of  education  by  the  govern- 
ment, but  since  then  universities  have  been  erected  in  Buenos  Ayres  and 
Cordova,  and  colleges  in  those  cities  and  in  Concepcion. 

The  history  of  the  Argentine  Republic  dates  back  to  the  year  15 16,  when 
Juan  Diaz  de  Solis  discovered  the  Plata  River;  but  more  immediately  from 
the  year  1535,  when  Don  Pedro  de  Mendoza  founded  the  city  of  Buenos 
Ayres,  the  present  capital.  For  many  years  the  settlements  were  subject  to 
attacks  by  native  Indians,  and  were  controlled  politically  by  the  viceroy  of 
Peru  till  1778.  The  first  confederation  embraced  the  provinces  of  the  Rio 
de  la  Plata,  Paraguay,  Uruguay,  and  Bolivia,  which  were  formed  into  a  sep- 
arate viceroyalty  of  Peru,  with  Buenos  Ayres  as  its  capital,  in  1778,  In  18 10 
the  viceroy  was  expelled,  and  in  1813  the  Spanish  authority  was  thrown  off,, 
and  a  republic  was  established  by  a  constituent  assembly.  Three  years  later 
the  united  provinLv.0  declared  their  independence  and  elected  a  dictator  of 
the  republic;  but  it  was  not  till  1821  that  they  succeeded  in  terminating  the 
Spanish  domination  by  force  of  arms  in  several  brilliant  engagements.  Then 
followed  a  long  period  of  revolutions,  secessions,  and  bitter  warfare.  A 
peace  was  concluded  1840,  but  soon  afterward  complications  arose  which  led 
to  the  intervention  of  France  and  England.  Paraguay  and  Uruguay  became 
independent  reprblics.  The  province  of  Buenos  Ayres  seceded  1852,  but 
re-entered  the  confederation  1859.  The  constitution  was  adopted  May  nth, 
1853,  and  was  revised  in  i860  and  1862,  but  the  country  was  distracted  by 
revolutions,  incited  mainly  by  aspirants  to  the  presidency,  to  as  late  a  period 
as  1880. 


' 


,  / 


CITY  OF  BUENOS  AYRES. 

UENOS  AYRES,  the  capital  of  the  republic  and  of  the  province 
I  of  the  same  name,  is  the  largest  city,  and  an  important  seaport. 
It  is  in  latitude  34°  36'  south,  and  longitude  58°  22'  west,  on  the 
right  bank  of  the  Rio  de  la  Plata,  100  miles  from  Montevideo,  and  150  miles 
from  the  ocean.  The  streets,  which  are  straight  and  cross  each  other  at 
right  angles,  remind  a  tourist  of  Moorish  and  Spanish  street  scenes.  A 
plaza  or  park  extends  along  the  entire  water  front,  and  is  beautified  with 
majestic  palms  and  vines,  parterres  of  flowers,  numerous  fountains,  and  some 
excellenL  statuary.  The  buildings  are  mostly  of  soft  brick  plastered  over, 
and  generally  of  a  quiet  buff  color,  and  the  streets  are  too  narrow  to  permit 
tree-planting  in  them.  There  is  a  pretty  park  at  Palermo,  a  few  miles  from 
the  city,  with  superb  avenues  of  palms,  and  a  collection  of  the  wild  animals 
of  the  country  in  cages,  including  jaguars,  pumas,  and  others.  The  public 
buildings  include  a  Roman  Catholic  cathedral,  the  government  building,  a 
number  of  old  and  handsomely  decorated  churches,  and  an  educational  insti- 
tution combining  a  college,  a  normal  school,  an  observatory,  and  a  valuable 
library.  The  city  bears  a  particularly  picturesque  appearance  by  night  as 
well  as  by  day,  and  the  promenade  effects  are  greatly  heightened  by  the  rich 
costumes  of  the  ladies.  Everybody  smokes  cigarettes,  and  it  is  no  exception 
to  see  the  dainty  fingertips  of  a  belle  stained  brown  with  nicotine.  The 
population  of  the  city  in  1882  was  295,000,  and  in  1886,  398,498. 


THE   REPUBLIC  OF   BOLIVIA. 


OLIVIA,  the  n^ost  central  republic  of  South  America,  Is  bounded 
on  the  north  nnd  east  by  Brazil,  on  the  south  by  the  Argentine 
Republic  and  Chili,  and  on  the  west  by  Peru  and  Chili,  and  pre- 
vious to  the  war  with  Chili  in  1879-81  lay  between  latitude  9°  and  23°  15' 
south,  and  longitude  57°  20'  and  69°  30'  west,  and  had  an  area  of  842,000 
square  miles.  A  result  of  Chili's  victory  in  that  memorable  tripartite  struggle 
was  the  cession  to  it  of  all  Bolivia's  coast  territory,  and  since  then  no  definite 
statement  has  been   made  either   of  its  area  or   population.     The  greater 


THE   COUNTRIES   OF  SOUTH   AMERICA. 


673 


part  of  the  country  is  mountainous  and  distinguished  by  numerous  enormous 
peaks,  many  being  living  volcanoes.  The  plateau  of  Potosi  has  an  elevation 
of  13,000  feet  above  sea  level;  Mount  Sajama  is  22,760  feet  high.  Mount 
Illampu  23,000,  and  Mount  lUimani  21,155.  Three  tributaries  of  the  Madeira 
and  three  of  the  Parana  rivers  drain  the  country.  Owing  to  its  extreme  ele- 
vation, Bolivia  has  five  distinct  grades  of  climate;  the  very  cold,  on  elevations 
of  13,000  feet  and  over;  the  cold  between  13,000  and  11,000;  the  high  valleys, 
between  11,000  and  9,000;  the  medium,  between  9,000  and  6,000;  and  the 
purely  tropical. 

The  natural  resources  are  gold,  silver,  copper,  tin,  lead,  quicksilver,  iron, 
coal,  nitre,  and  salt ;  of  forest  growths  there  are  excellent  qualities  of  rubber, 
■cinchona,  and  various  medicinal  roots  and  barks;  and  there  are  large  and 
valuable  deposits  of  guano.  The  wild  animals  embrace  the  llama,  vicuna, 
alpaca,  guanaco,  several  species  of  monkeys,  wild-cat,  bear,  and  wild  boar. 
The  agricultural  productions  include  potatoes,  oca,  quinoa,  barley,  wheat, 
•corn,  cacao,  coca,  bananas,  cofTee,  cotton,  tobacco,  and  sugar-cane.  There 
is  no  direct  commccial  intercourse  between  Bolivia  and  the  rest  of  the  world, 
owing  to  the  very  poor  facilities  for  transportPtion ;  but  a  considerable  trade 
is  carried  on  with  the  adjoining  countries,  and  to  foreign  ones  through  Bra- 
zil, Chili,  and  Peru,  as  Bolivia  has  now  no  sea  coast  nor  port.  The  exports 
include  silver,  of  which  there  is  an  annual  production  valued  at  $2,250,000, 
cinchona,  coffee,  yellow  and  white  cotton,  guano,  copper,  tin,  and  nitre;  and 
the  imports  cotton  and  woollen  goods,  iron,  hardware,  silks,  furniture,  and 
jewelry.  In  1879  the  total  value  of  exports  was  about  $5,000,000,  while  the 
imports  amounted  to  nearly  $5,750,000. 

Up  to  1880  there  were  but  three  railroads  in  the  country,  and  though 
money  had  been  appropriated  two  years  previously  to  extend  existing  lines 
and  open  new  ones,  it  was  subsequently  diverted  to  war  purposes.  A  line  of 
telegraph  extends  from  Chililago,  on  Lake  Titicaca,  which  is  the  largest  in- 
land body  of  water  in  South  America,  having  an  area  of  4,000  square  miles, 
to  La  Paz  and  Orura,  a  distance  of  180  miles.  In  1880  the  public  debt 
amounted  to  $30,000,000,  and  the  last  reported  revenue  was  $2,930,000,  and 
expenditure  $4,505,000.  Since  the  war  and  the  reduction  of  the  army  to  a 
peace  footing,  that  branch  of  the  public  service  has  cost  two-thirds  of  the 
revenue,  and  consisted  of  2,421  men,  with  eight  generals  and  sufficient  other 
officers  to  provide  one  officer  for  every  two  men.  While  all  creeds  are  tol- 
erated, the  Roman  Catholic  has  been  the  prevailing  form  of  religion  since 


674 


THE  COUNTRIES   OF  SOUTH  AMERICA: 


1538,  when  the  Spaniards  conquered  the  country;  and  the  four  universities 
and  half-dozen  colleges  and  schools  that  have  constituted  the  educational 
system  in  late  years,  owe  their  existence  and  influence  almost  wholly  to  the 
clergy  of  that  church. 

The  chief  cities  and  towns  are  La  Paz,  Cochabamba,  Sucre  or  Chuquisaca, 
Potosi,  Santa  Cruz,  Oruro,  Tarija,  and  Trinidad.  La  Paz  and  Oruro  have 
both  been  the  capital  of  the  republic  in  past  years,  and  Chuquisaca,  or  Sucre 
as  it  is  more  generally  called,  is  now  (1889)  the  seat  of  executive  authority. 
Ihe  constitution  that  Simon  Bolivar,  after  whom  the  country  is  named,  gave 
the  republic  in  1826  has  since  been  amended  and  altered  entirely  out  of  iis 
origin.-il  form.  The  original  four  years'  term  of  the  presidt.it  has  been  changed 
to  six  years,  then  to  a  life  tenure,  and  then  b?,ck  again  to  four  years;  but 
the  internal  revolutions  have  been  so  numerous  that  it  would  be  difiKi  't  to 
mention  a  single  president  who  has  lived  or  been  permitted  to  serve  through 
any  of  these  terms. 

When  Bolivia  formed  a  part  of  the  Inca  empire  of  Cuzcn  (1018-1524),  it 
enjoyed  a  high  degree  of  civilization.  The  Spanish  dominion  was  firmly  es- 
tablished in  1780,  and  for  some  years  the  country  formed  a  part  of  the  vice- 
royalty  of  La  Plata.  A  congress  assembled  in  1825,  after  many  years  of  revo- 
lution and  bloodshed,  and  declared  the  country  an  independent  nipublic.  In 
the  following  year  a  constitution  was  adopted,  and  General  Sucre  vas  elected 
president.  In  1828  he  was  forced  to  leave  the  country;  in  1835  the  Bolivians 
invaded  Peru  and  annexed  a  portion  of  their  territory;  1839  the  Bolivians 
were  defeated  by  Chili;  1866  Bolivia  joined  the  alliance  of  Peru,  Ecuador, 
and  Chili  against  Spain;  1868  a  new  constitution  was  adopted  and  in  the 
following  ye"*f  was  overthrown  and  restored  within  three  months;  and  1879- 
81  a  war  undertaken  by  Peru  with  Bolivia  as  an  ally  against  Chili  resulte-i  in 
Bolivia  losing  a  fourth-part  of  its  territory  and  a  half  of  its  accumulated 
wealth,  and  in  Peru  having  the  flower  of  its  citizenship  killed  in  battle  on 
land  and  sea,  and  its  fairest  city  bombarded  and  occupied  by  the  Chilians. 
Between  the  foregoing  events  ambitious  generals  were  elected  and  proclaimed 
president,  deposed,  expelled  from  the  country,  and  assassinated  with  consid- 
erable regularity;  and  it  may  be  said  truthfully  that  in  the  hundred  years 
ending  with  1880,  Bolivia  was  not  free  from  revolution  nor  war  for  a  consec- 
utive period  of  five  years. 


m 


CITY  OF  SUCRE. 


UCRE,  the  capital  of  the  republic,  is  in  latitude  19°  40'  south,  and 
longitude  65°  35'  north,  on  a  small  plateau  above  the  Rio  de  la 
Plata,  and  at  an  elevation  of  9,343  feet  above  the  sea  level.  It  is  a 
well-built  city,  with  clean  and  spacious  streets,  and  its  houses,  generaP.y  two 
stories  in  height,  are  provided  with  small  paved  courts  v/ith  water  running 
through  them.  The  city  has  a  grand  square  on  which  stands  a  notable  foun- 
tain, and  several  buildings  of  considerable  repute,  among  which  are  the 
magnificent  cathedral,  built  in  the  Moorish  style  of  architecture,  with  lofty 
towers  and  an  ii-nmense  dome;  the  churches  of  San  Francisco  and  San 
Miguel;  the  president's  pt'ace;  the  seminary  Oi  St.  Christopher,  College  of 
Junin ;  the  "  Colcgio  de  las  Educandas,"  a  large  female  orphan  asylum;  sev- 
eral monasteries;  and  a  theatre.  Sucre  is  the  see  of  a  Roman  Catholic 
archbishop,  has  valuable  silver  mines  in  its  immediate  vicinity,  and  a  popu- 
lation composeo  maiiily  of  Indiana,  who  speak  the  Chichua  language.  The 
whole  population  was  estimated  in  1880  at  23,979. 


THE   REPUBLIC  OF   ECUADOR. 


^CUADOR  is  a  republic  on  the  west  coast  of  South  America,  be- 
tv/een  Peru  and  the  United  States  01  Colombia,  and  lies  directly 
beneath  the  equator,  irom  which  fact  it  derives  its  name.  Its 
geographical  location  is  between  latitude  1°  50'  north  and  4°  50'  south,  and 
longitude  70°  and  81°  west;  area,  including  the  Tortoise  Islands,  251,322 
square  miles;  population,  according  to  the  census  of  1885,  1,004,651,  of  whom 
about  200,'  00  were  uncivilized  Indians.  The  territory  is  unequally  divided 
into  three  districts  by  the  Andes  and  Cordilleras  Mountains,  between  which 
is  a  fertile  table-land  from  8,000  to  9,500  feet  above  sea  level.  This  section  is 
>i  fine  agricultural  region,  capable  of  producing  all  the  cereals  and  vegetation 
known  to  the  temperate  zone;  but  agriculture  is  there  little  understood  as  a 
science,  in  fact,  cocoa  is  the  only  article  cultivated  with  any  degree  of  thor- 
oughness, and  it  forms  the  principal  wealth  of  the  country. 

The  mountain  r'^nges  in  Ecuador  are  distinguished  by  the  presence  of 
sixteen  at;ive  volcanoes,  the  most  noted  of  which  is  Cotopaxi,  with  an  elevai- 


■  I 


i 


■  I 


676 


THE  COUNTRIES  OF  SOUTH  AMERICA: 


tion  of   19,498  feet;   Chimborazo  is  ^1,414  feet  high,  Cayambe   19,386,  and 
Antisana  19,140.     The  country  is  believed  to  possess  large  wealth  in  precious, 
metals ;  gold  and  silver,  iron,  coal,  and  salt  arc  known  to  exist  in  paying 
quantities;  but  with  the  exception  of  salt,  which  forms  a  government  monop- 
oly, the  mines  are  undeveloped.     The  chief  rocks  are  granite,  syenite,  tra- 
chyte, and  porphyry.     The  forests  contain  valuable  hard  woods,  and  a  pro- 
fusion  of    the   cinchona   tree,   palm,    Brazil   nut,   vegetable    ivory,  vanilla, 
rubber,  tolu  balsam,  and  the  croton  tiglinm  from  which  croton  oil  is  obtained. 
There  is  but  one  railroad  in  the  country  (1889),  connecting  Quito,  the  capital^ 
with  Guayaquil,  the  chief  port,  and  there  are  no  telegraph  lines.     The  state 
religion  is  the  Roman  Catholic,  and  no  other  forms  are  tolerated ;  and  the 
whole  educational  system  is  under  the  control  of  the  priests.     There  is  an 
archbishop  at  the  capital,  and  a  bishop  in  each  of  the  provinces,  which  are 
subdivided  into  parishes,  each  of  which  has  a  public  school,  and  in  them  lit- 
tle more  than  the  primary  branches  is  taught.     It  is  estimated  that  fully  oi.e- 
half  the  population  are  unable  to  read  or  \Yrite.     The  total  number  of  schools 
in  all  the  provinces  in  1885  was  522,  with  45,533  pupils  and  836  teachers,  and 
the  whole  cost  of  education  that  year  was  only  $152,080. 

Ecuador  is  divided  politically  into  three  departments,  Quito,  Guayaquil, 
'  and  Azuay,  and  these  into  seven  provinces,  Carchi,  Imbabura,  Pichincha, 
Leon,  Tungurahua,  Chimborazo,  and  Quito.  The  constitution  represents  the 
democratic  system  of  government  as  illustrated  in  the  United  States,  and 
the  legal  as  exemplified  in  the  laws  of  Spain.  The  president  holds  ofifice 
four  years,  and  the  congress  sits  every  two  years.  The  provinces  have  terri- 
torial forms  of 'government,  and  their  chief  executives  arc  governors  appointed 
by  the  president.  In  addition  to  the  usual  forms  of  courts,  to  which  the 
judges  also  are  appointed  by  the  president,  there  are  commercial  courts  to 
which  judges  are  elected  by  the  merchants  of  the  city  or  parish  in  which  each 
of  such  courts  has  jurisdiction.  The  president  and  the  vice-president  are 
nominated  by  a  body  of  900  chosen  electors,  and  none  but  believers  in  the 
Roman  Catholic  church  are  allowed  to  exercise  the  right  of  suffrage. 

•  The  total  exports  in  1885  amounted  in  value  to  $6,680,815  ;  the  export  to 
the  United  States  was  $1,131,169,  and  the  import  from  the  United  States 
$1,049,392.  The  amount  of  cocoa,  the  chief  product,  exported  that  year  was 
23,227,048  pounds,  worth  $5,080,918.  In  1886  the  custom  house  at  Guaya- 
quil reported  a  total  revenue  of  $1,940,536,  which  was  $845,335  in  excess  of 
that  of  the  previous  year.     The  ordinary  income  of  the  republic  is  $4,000,000,. 


TIIRIR  CAPITALS  AND  SEAPORTS. 


^77 


and  expenditure  $3,360,000.  The  material  and  industrial  progress  of  the 
country  are  retarded  by  the  laws  prohibiting  freedom  of  conscience,  the  tax 
of  10  per  cent  imposed  on  all  agricultural  products,  and  the  lack  of  proper 
roads.  The  Hon.  Alexander  McLean,  formerly  U.  S.  Consul  at  Guayaquil, 
thus  sums  up  some  of  the  disadvantages  of  a  region  teeming  with  undeveloped 
riches:  "The  crops  reach  a  market  in  canoes.  The  implements  sparingly 
used  are  similar  to  those  of  the  ancient  Egyptians.  Oats  are  threshed  by 
driving  cattle  over  them,  and  corn  is  gathered  and  sold  by  the  individual  ear. 
The  crops  raised  for  export  are  cocoa,  coffee,  rice,  sugar,  cotton,  and  tobacco. 
Rubber  and  cinchona  are  not  properly  crops.  They  are  obtained  in  a  bar- 
barous manner  by  killing  the  trees,  in  the  case  of  rubber  for  the  sap  and  in 
that  of  cinchona  for  the  bark." 

Ecuador  was  discovered  by  Pizarro  in  1526,  and  passed  into  the  hands  of 
the  Spaniards  on  the  downfall  of  the  empire  of  the  Incas.  It  remained  a 
Spanish  possession  till  1 81 2,  when  the  inhabitants  rose  in  rebellion.  In  1821 
New  Granada  and  Venezuela  united  and  formed  the  republic  of  Colombia, 
in  1823  the  Spaniards  wet.'  driven  from  that  part  of  South  America,  in  1831 
New  Granada  and  Venezuela  separated,  and  Ecuador,  or  the  ancient  king- 
dom of  Quito  seceded  from  the  former,  declared  itself  an  independent  repub- 
lic, and  adopted  a  constitution.  For  many  years  the  boundaries  between 
Ecuador  and  Peru  and  Venezuela  were  a  subject  of  much  contention.  In 
1859  there  was  an  unsuccessful  revolution  at  Guayaquil,  and  a  successful  one 
at  Quito,  which  nearly  resulted  in  the  country  becoming  subject  to  Peru. 
In  1866  Ecuador  joined  in  alliance  with  Chili  and  Peru  to  resist  the  attacks 
of  Spain  upon  those  republics.  Revolutions  and  assassinations  have  been 
frequent,  but  the  country  has  not  been  engaged  in  a  war  of  any  magnitude 
since  1823.  It  was  visited  by  severe  earthquakes  on  August  13th,  1868,  and 
June  29th,  1887. 


CITY  OF   QUITO. 

UlTO,  the  capital  of  the  republic,  is  built  on  a  side  of  the  extinct  vol- 
cano of  Pichincha,  in  latitude  0°  13' south,  and  longitude  78°  43' 
west,  and  at  an  elevation  of  over  9,000  feet  above  se.  level.  Not- 
withstanding its  close  proximity  to  the  equator,  it  enjoys  a  healthy  and  equable 
climate,  the  temperature  ranging  from  45°  to  75°  F.,  and  averaging  60°. 
Eight  summits  of  the  Andes  covered  with  perpetual  snow  can  be  seen  from 


<)7S 


THE  COUNTRIES  OF  SOUTH  AMERICA: 


its  heights,  and,  in  remarkable  contrast,  the  beautiful  cultivated  valley  of 
Chillo.  The  houses  are  solidly  built  and  mostly  one  story  in  height,  to  re- 
duce the  dangers  of  earthquakes.  The  public  buildings  embrace  the  palaces 
of  the  president  and  archbishop,  the  cathedral,  and  municipal  hall,  all  built 
to  face  the  Plaza  Mayor,  a  university,  four  colleges,  eleven  schools  of  a  higher 
grade  than  those  previously  mentioned,  several  seminaries,  nearly  300  parish 
schools,  a  mint,  a  public  library,  a  polytechnic  school  established  1872,  and 
numerous  churches,  many  of  them  with  convents  attached.  In  its  neighbor' 
hood  are  the  ruins  of  many  ancient  palaces  of  the  Incas,  beside  traces  of  the 
great  road  which  in  the  days  of  the  Incas  led  from  the  city  to  the  southern 
extremity  of  the  valley  of  Titicaca.  South  of  Quito  is  Tacunga,  or  Lacta- 
cungo,  which,  between  1698  and  1797,  was  four  times  destroyed  by  earth- 
quakes.  The  modern  city  of  Quito  was  founded  by  Kenalcazar  in  1534,  and 
had  in  1885  a  population  variously  estimated  at  from  75,000  to  80,000. 
Guayaquil,  the  chief  port  of  the  republic,  is  on  a  river  of  the  same  name,  in 
latitude  2°  12' south,  and  longitude  79°  39' west,  had  a  population,  1885,  of 
25,000,  and  has  long  been  noted  for  its  manufactures  of  Panama  hats. 


THE   REPUBLIC   OF   PARAGUAY. 

O  portion  of  South  America  has  sustained  such  extreme  vicissitudes 
through  the  terrible  ordeal  of  war,  as  the  republic  of  Paraguay. 
At  one  time  its  territory  included  the  enormous  region  lying  be- 
tween latitude  16°  south  and  the  Straits  of  Magellan,  and  between  Chili  and 
Peru  on  the  west,  and  Brazil  on  the  east.  By  the  war  with  Brazil  and  the 
Argentine  Republic  in  1865-70,  the  country  lost  much  of  its  best  territory, 
beside  the  lives  of  nine-tenths  of  its  entire  population.  Since  1870  the  re- 
public has  been  confined  to  the  tract  between  latitude  22°  and  25°  south  and 
longitude  53°  and  59°  west,  and  been  bounded  on  the  north  by  Bolivia,  on 
the  west  by  Venezuela,  on  the  south  by  the  Argentine  territory  of  the  Mis- 
sions, and  on  the  east  by  Brazil. 

Its  area  was  estimated  in  1879  at  91,980  square  miles,  and  its  population, 
exclusive  of  130,000  Indians,  at  346,048 — not  as  much  as  that  of  some  thrifty 
cities  in  the  United  States.  The  country  is  well  watered  by  the  numerous 
tributaries  of  the  Parana  River  on  the  south  and  east,  and  of  the  Paraguay  on 


THEIR   CAPITALS   AND   SKAI'ORTS. 


6-' 


the  west.  It  .nlso  has  several  !arj;e  lakes,  cme  covering  an  area  of  icki  s([iiare 
miles.  There  are  no  mountains  within  its  limits,  and  no  land  exceeding  3,500 
feet  in  elevation.  The  hijjhest  portion,  in  the  north,  is  ([uite  fertile,  but  the 
greater  southern  portion  is  almost  wholly  covereil  with  swamps  and  jungles. 
The  animal  kingdom  is  similar  to  that  of  Urazil,  and  is  without  ilistinctive 
species.  It  has  a  vast  growth  of  forest,  with  some  valuable  woods;  not  more 
than  half  of  its  most  fertile  ilistricts  arc  under  cultivation;  and  it  stands  alone 
among  the  countries  of  South  America  in  having  no  mineral  resources  of 
commercial  consequence. 

It  is  governed,  uniler  a  constitution,  by  a  president  elected  for  six  years, 
who  has  a  cabinet  of  five  ministers.  Its  dominant  religion  is  the  Roman 
Catholic,  its  language  a  patois  in  which  the  Spanish  is  combined  with  that  of 
the  Guarini  Indians,  and  its  educational  interests  have  received  but  little 
attention  till  within  the  last  few  years.  The  exports  are  chiefly  yerba  mate, 
or  Paraguay  tea,  tobacco,  dry  hides,  tanned  hides,  tanning  bark,  oranges, 
lumber,  tallow,  wax,  and  wool ;  and  the  imports,  silks,  woollens,  linens,  cottons, 
hardware,  wines,  and  general  provisions.  There  is  no  direct  trade  with  the 
United  States  worthy  of  the  name.  Paraguay  has  a  standing  army  of  only 
2,(XX)  men,  and  a  public  debt  growing  out  of  the  war  aggregating  $200,000,000. 
It  is  in  no  wise  prosperous,  and  there  are  no  indications  that  it  will  be  for 
many  years  to  come. 

Prior  to  18 10  it  was  a  colony  of  Spain.  In  that  year  it  declared  its  inde- 
pendence, and  in  1812  elected  Dr.  Francia  consul,  soon  afterward  making  him 
dictator.  Under  his  government,  which  lasted  till  his  death  in  1840,  the  country 
enjoyed  its  greatest  prosperity,  though  its  development  was  seriously  checked 
by  the  rigorous  policy  he  purused  of  excluding  all  foreigners  from  the  country. 
In  1846  the  elder  Lopez  was  elected  president  for  life.  He  died  in  1862,  and 
was  succeeded  by  his  son,  Solano  Lopez,  the  most  merciless  tyrant  of  modern 
times.  Though  a  Roman  Catholic  country,  but  little  respect  was  shown 
toward  the  Holy  See,  either  by  father  or  son ;  the  bishops  possessed  no  im- 
munities by  reason  of  their  sacerdotal  character,  and  under  the  son  nearly  all 
of  the  most  intelligent  priests  were  arrested,  tortured,  and  put  to  death.  The 
younger  Lopez  was  killed  in  the  disastrous  war  he  precipitated  with  Brazil 
and  the  Argentine  Republic.  Since  its  termination  the  country  has  been 
practically  a  dependency  of  Brazil.  It  was  discovered  by  Sebastian  Cabot  in 
1526.  The  first  bishop  for  it  was  appointed  1554,  and  took  with  him  laws  for 
the  protection  of  the  natives,  who  had  been  reduced  to  slavery  and  divided 


68o 


THE  COUNTRIES   OF   SOUTH  AMERICA: 


among  the  conquerors.  Jesuit  missionaries  settled  there  in  1556,  and  con- 
ferred great  civiUzing  benefits  upon  the  country,  till  their  expulsion  by  the 
Spaniards  in  1767. 


CITY  OF  ASSUMPTION. 

SSUMPTION,  the  capital  of  the  republic,  founded  in  1536,  is  on  the 
Paraguay  River,  in  latitude  25°  18'  south,  and  longitude  57°  30' 
west.  Owing  to  its  advantageous  location,  it  became  a  city  of  con- 
siderable importance  under  its  Spanish  settlers.  The  majority  of  its  houses 
are  of  brick,  one  story  high,  and  roofed  with  tiles.  It  is  a  bishop's  see,  and 
contains  a  cathedral,  government  palace,  custom-house,  military  hospital^ 
college,  and  public  library.  During  the  war  of  1865-70,11  was  bombarded 
and  nearly  destroyed  by  a  Brazilian  fleet.  In  1885  the  population  was  esti- 
mated at  19,463,  of  whom  less  than  300  were  foreigners. 


m 


THE   REPUBLIC  OF   URUGUAY. 

HE  republic  of  Uruguay,  long  known  as  the  IJanda  Oriental  del 
Urugii  \y,  lies  between  latitude  30°  and  35°  south,  and  longitude 
53°  and  58°  30'  west,  and  is  bounded  by  Brazil  on  the  north,  north- 
east, and  cast,  the  Atlantic  Ocean  on  the  southeast  and  south,  and  by  the  Rio 
dc  la  Plata  and  the  Uruguay  rivers  on  the  southwest  and  west,  the  latter 
separating  it  from  the  Argentine  Republic.  It  has  an  area  of  73,538  square 
miles,  and  its  population  was  estimated  in  1884  at  593,248,  of  whom  60,000 
were  Italians,  30,000  Spaniards,  30,000  French,  30,000  Basques,  and  20,000 
Brazilians.  More  than  half  the  entire  population  was  of  foreign  extraction.  It 
has  a  coast  line  accessible  to  shipping  of  625  miles :  200  on  the  Atlantic  Ocean, 
155  on  the  Plata,  and  270  on  the  Uruguay,  and  a  land  frontier  of  450  miles. 

The  general  character  of  the  country  is  that  of  a  vast  rolling  plain,  abound- 
ing in  natural  pastures,  and  presenting  here  and  there  low,  well-wooded  ridges, 
from  which  numerous  streams  descend  in  all  directions.  Its  chief  water- 
courses are  the  Rio  Negro,  formed  by  the  union  '■'f  several  small  streams  that 
ri,se  in  the  Grand  Cochilha  near  the  Brazilian  border,  and  divides  the  country 
into  two  nearly  equal  parts  from  i.orthcast  to  southwest ;  the  Rio  de  la  Plata, 


THEIR  CAPITALS  AND  SEAPORTS. 


68 1 


the  left  bank  of  which  now  belongs  wholly  to  Uruguay ;  and  the  Uruguay, 
which  receives  the  Rio  Negro  just  before  entering  the  Rio  de  la  Plata,  con- 
tains a  number  of  falls,  and  is  navigable  for  over  1,000  miles.  The  country 
enjoys  a  temperate  climat  ,  somewhat  changeable,  and  resembling  that  of 
Spain  and  Italy,  and  the  air  is  pure  and  healthy.  A  large  portion  of  it  is 
fertile  land,  and  a  vast  extent  profitable  pasturage.  As  a  result  the  rearing 
of  cattle  and  sheep  forms  the  chief  industry  of  the  people,  though  in  agri- 
culture there  are  large  products  of  wheat  and  Indian  corn.  Hemp  and  differ- 
ent 'qualities  of  flax,  nearly  all  kinds  of  vegetables,  cotton,  sugar-cane,  the  vine, 
and  the  fruit  trees  common  to  the  south  of  Europe  thrive  abundantly.  An 
enumeration  in  1882  showed  that  there  were  6,711,778  cattle,  20,000,000  high- 
grade  sheep,  and  1,500,000  horses  in  the  country,  and  that  35,000,000  acres 
were  in  pasture. 

For  many  years  previous  to  1884  the  country  was  divided  for  administra- 
tive purposes  into  thirteen  provinces  or  departments,  but  in  that  year  a  reor- 
ganization of  the  territory  was  made  and  eighteen  departments  were  estab- 
lished. Uruguay  is  a  republic  with  an  elective  president,  and  a  national 
legislature  of  one  senator  and  three  representatives  for  each  department,  but 
the  actual  power  is  generally  centred  in  the  president,  Vvho,  as  in  most  South 
American  countries,  is  usually  a  successful  military  ofificer.  In  1882  the  ex- 
ports were  valued  at  $21,962,930,  and  the  imports  at  $18,174,800;  1883  the 
exports  were  $26,831,555,  and  imports  $21,634,475;  and  1885  exports  $25,- 
253,600,  and  imports  $25,275,349;  of  the  exports  of  the  latter  year  $6,000,000 
were  on  account  of  hides  alone.  The  public  debt  amounted  to  $62,330,491  in 
1886,  and  in  the  following  year  the  revenue  was  $8,181,815 — three-fourths  of 
which  were  derived  from  custom  duties — and  the  expenditures  were  $7,414,815. 
Over  500  miles  of  railroad  and  over  2,000  miles  of  telegraph  lines  were  then 
in  operation.  The  prevailing  religion  of  the  country  is  the  Roman  Catholic; 
but  while  the  constitution  of  1864  declared  that  to  be  the  religion  of  the  state, 
it  guaranteed  freedom  to  all  other  forms.  In  the  admirabh,  educational 
system  of  the  country,  in  which  a  number  of  American  ladies  a  id  gentlemen 
are  employed,  there  is  no  apparent  denominational  bias. 

The  first  settlement  in  the  Banda  Oriental  del  Uruguay  was  made  by  Jesuit 
priests  in  1622,  though  Brazil,  of  which  it  was  a  province  many  years,  was 
discovered  by  Pedro  Alvarez  Cabral,  a  Portuguese  navigator,  in  1500.  The 
Brazilians  shook  off  their  allegiance  to  Portugal  and  declared  in  favor  of  an 
independent  kingdom  in   181 5.     The  present  republic  of  Uruguay  as  well  as 


682 


THE  COUNTRIES   OF  SOUTH  AMERICA; 


the  country  called  the  Seven  Missions  was  comprehended  in  that  portion 
of  the  vice-royalty  of  Buenos  Ayres  situated  to  the  east  of  the  Uruguay  River, 
When  Brazil  declared  its  independence,  the  republic  of  Buenos  Ayres  was. 
plunged  into  civil  war,  and  Brazil  took  advantage  of  the  circumstance  and 
occupied  the  Banda  Oriental.  Buenos  Ayres  protested  against  the  action,  and 
as  no  settlement  could  be  effected  the  two  countries  went  to  war  with  each 
other  in  1825.  Through  the  intervention  of  Great  Britain  a  treaty  of  peace 
was  concluded  in  1828,  the  Seven  Missions  territory  being  ceded  therein  to 
Brazil,  and  the  southern  district  declared  an  independent  republic  under  the 
title  of  Republica  del  Uruguay  Oriental.  The  constitution  was  adopted  in 
1 83 1,  and  the  young  republic  started  on  its  career  with  a  war  with  Buenos 
Ayres,  precipitated  by  the  failure  of  an  aspirant  for  the  presidency  of  Uru- 
guay. Brazil  interfered  in  behalf  of  Uruguay,  and  asking  the  co-operation  of 
England  and  France,  each  of  those  countries  blockaded  Montevideo  by  turns 
till  1849,  when  treaties  were  signed  which  secured  the  recognition  of  Uruguay 
by  the  neighboring  republics  and  nominally  closed  the  strife ;  but  peace  was. 
not  established  till  185 1.  Brazil  blockaded  Montevideo  in  1864,  and  forced  the 
country  to  aid  her  in  the  war  with  Paraguay,  and  at  the  close  of  that  struggle 
the  country  was  rent  wit'  revolutions  accompanied  by  assassinations,  and  it 
was  not  till  1870  that  it  began  to  enjoy  the  semblance  of  peace. 


CITY  OF  MONTEVIDEO. 

ONTEVIDEO,  the  capital  and  commercial  metropolis  of  the  repub- 
lic, is  built  on  the  north  shore  of  the  rpouth  of  the  Rio  de  la  Plata, 
at  its  entrance  into  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  and  is  in  latitude  34°  53' 
south,  and  longitude  56°  16'  west.  It  is  on  a  small  promontory  which  forms 
the  eastern  shore  of  its  harbor,  the  western  consisting  of  another  projecting 
point  connected  with  a  hill  463  feet  high,  from  which  the  city  has  derived  its 
name.  Opposite  the  city  the  river  is  seventy  miles  wide ;  the  harbor  is  over 
four  miles  long  and  over  two  wide.  The  city  is  well  built,  with  wide,  straight, 
paved  streets  that  intersect  each  other,  and  tasteful  houses  with  flat  roofs  and 
picturesque  parapets.  It  has  a  cathedral,  dedicated  to  the  apostles  San  Felipe 
and  San  Jago,  and  noted  for  its  grand  facade,  which  displays  a  great  portal 
composed  of  three  round  arches  and  flanked  by  two  cupola-crowned  towers. 
The  government  buildings,  president's  palace,  three  other  Roman  Catholic 


THEIR   CAPITALS   AND   SEAPORTS. 


6cS3 


churches,  a  Protestant  church  connected  with  tlie  British  consulate  and  built  in 
1846,  and  a  Methodist  mission  chapel,  are  prominent  among  the  public  build- 
ings. During  the  sway  of  General  Rosas  in  Buenos  Ayres  it  suffered  greatly 
in  its  commerce  and  otherwise  by  the  long  irregular  siege  it  sustained,  and 
which  terminated  only  on  the  downfall  of  that  agitator.  Its  commerce  has 
rapidly  increased  since  1870,  and  during  the  years  1877-81  its  exports 
amounted  in  value  to  $11,515,305,  and  its  imports  to  $17,339,985.  The  chief 
articles  of  export  are  cattle,  hides,  tallow,  and  dried  and  preserved  meats. 
The  city  was  founded  in  171 7,  and  had  a  population  in  1884  of  104,472. 


GUIANA. 

HIS  extensive  territory,  divided  politically  between  Brazil,  Ven- 
ezuela, Great  Britain,  France,  and  the  Netherlands,  is  situated  in 
the  northeastern  part  of  South  America,  between  latitude  8°  40' 
north  and  3°  30'  south,  and  longitude  50°  and  68°  west,  and  is  bounded  by 
the  Atlantic  Ocean  and  the  Amazon  and  Orinoco  rivers.  Its  extreme  length 
from  cast  to  west  is  about  1,200  miles,  its  greatest  breadth  800,  and  its  esti- 
mated area  600,000  scjuare  miles.  The  first  two  divisions,  comprising  about 
five-sixths  of  the  entire  territory,  are  provinces  of  Brazil  and  Venezuela  re- 
spectively; the  others  are  colonies  known  as  British,  Dutch,  and  French 
Guiana. 

The  discovery  of  the  territory  has  been  claimed  both  for  Vasco  Nuflez, 
who  is  said  to  have  landed  on  the  coast  in  i  504,  and  for  Diego  de  Ordas,  who 
subsequently  accompanied  Cortez  in  the  conquest  of  Mexico.  Some  Dutch 
people  are  said  to  have  made  settlements  near  the  river  Pomeroon  as  early  as 
1580;  Sir  Walter  Raleigh  sailed  up  the  Orinoco  in  search  of  the  coveted  El 
Dorado  in  1595;  the  Dutch  possession  was  contested  by  the  Spaniards;  New 
Zealanders,  English  and  P>cnch  made  settlements  on  the  Essequibo  and 
Surinam  rivers  between  1600  and  1650:  and  in  i66g  the  Dutch  possessions 
covered  all  the  region  now  belonging  to  British,  Dutch,  and  French  Guiana. 
The  present  division  of  this  section  was  subsequently  arranged  between  the 
three  interested  powers  by  treaty.  The  territory  is  watered  by  the  Amazon, 
Orinoco,  Essequibo,  Demerara,  Berbice,  Corentin,  Maroni,  and  Oyapok  rivers 
and  their  affluents.  The  soil  is  fertile,  the  climate  in  general  hot  and  moist, 
and  the  temperature  averages  81''  F.     The  chief  products  are  sugar,  rum,  and 


684 


THE  COUNTRIES   OF   SOUTH  AMERICA; 


molasses.  The  whole  territory  forms  a  forest-clad  peninsula,  on  which  grows 
a  great  variety  and  an  enormous  quantity  of  valuable  woods.  The  most 
notable  tree  is  the  mint,  which  attains  a  height  of  150  feet,  and  yields  timber 
equal  to  that  of  the  teak.  The  three  eastern  divisions  of  Guiana  are  the  most 
important  commercially  as  well  as  the  best  known. 


BRITISH  GUIANA. 

HIS  division  occupies  the  western  part  of  the  territory  between 
Venezuela  and  Dutch  Guiana,  from  which  it  is  separatetl  by  the 
Corentin  River,  and  is  intersected  in  its  length  by  the  Essequibo. 
It  has  an  area  of  86,000  square  miles,  and  in  1884  had  a  population  of 
264,473.  The  colony  is  subdivided  into  three  departments,  Essequibo, 
Demerara,  and  Berbice,  is  under  the  executive  authority  of  a  governor  ap- 
pointed by  the  British  crown,  and  has  two  important  towns,  Georgetown,  the 
c  '.pital,  with  a  population  of  49,21 1,  and  New  Amsterdam.  The  chief  exports 
are  sugar,  rum,  molasses,  timber,  shingles,  and  cotton ;  and  imports,  cotton 
goods,  casks,  machinery,  beer  and  ale,  iron,  butter,  and  rice;  these  in  1885 
were  valued  at:  exports,  $8,610,160,  imports,  $7,970,240.  The  Church  of 
England  diocese  of  Guiana  was  established  in  1842,  and  in  1880  had  sixty- 
nine  churches  and  chapels,  with  90,000  communicants.  The  Church  of  Scot- 
land had  ten  ministers,  the  Wesleyan  Methodist  fourteen,  and  the  Roman 
Catholics,  Moravians,  and  Congregational  Dissenters  had  several  churches 
and  mission  stations  each.  The  Church  of  England  receives  an  annual  grant 
from  the  public  revenue  of  $50,000,  the  Church  of  Scotland,  $25,000  and  the 
Roman  Catholic  Church  $12,500.  The  system  of  education  is  denomina- 
tional, and  supported  by  public  revenue. 


DUTCH  GUIANA. 

HIS  division,  sometimes  called  Surinam  from  its  main  river,  is  the 
central  one,  and  lies  between  the  Corentin  and  Maroni  rivers.  Its 
area  has  been  variously  estimated  at  from  45,000  to  58,530  square 
miles,  the  greater  portion  of  which  has  never  been  explored.  The  population 
was  estimated  at  69,329  in  1875,  of  whom  between  6,000  and  7,000  were  whites, 


THEIR   CAPITALS   AND   SEAPORTS, 


685 


17,000  Maroons,  and  40,000  negroes.  Paramaribo,  ten  miles  from  the  mouth  of 
the  Surinam  River,  and  with  a  population  of  22,000,  is  the  capital.  The  colony 
is  divided  into  nine  districts,  and  governed  by  a  governor-general  and  a  council 
of  native  freeholders  as  executives  of  an  assembly  partly  appointed  b)-  the 
home  government,  and  partly  elected  by  citizens,  who  obtain  the  right  of 
voting  by  the  payment  of  a  special  tax.  The  imports  are  worth  annually 
$1,600,000,  and  the  exports,  sugar,  rum,  molasses,  coffee,  and  cotton,  $1,200,000. 


FRENCH  GUIANA. 

HE  extreme  eastern  colony  is  the  smallest  of  the  three,  and  is  also 
known  as  Cayenne,  the  name  of  an  important  island,  the  capital, 
and  the  port.  The  area  is  estimated  at  from  48,000  to  53,000 
square  miles,  and  the  population  in  1877  at  36,760;  greatest  length  of  colony 
280  miles,  greatest  breadth  220.  Owing  to  the  prevailing  trade  winds,  the 
heat  is  here  less  intense  than  in  the  British  and  Dutch  portions.  Hurricanes 
are  unknown,  but  slight  earthquakes  have  occurred  in  1821,  1843,  ''^'id  ^^77- 
Since  1870  gold  washing  has  become  the  chief  industry.  The  exports  in  the 
order  of  value  are  gold,  coffee,  sugar,  rum,  pepper,  cabinet-woods,  cotton, 
.skins,  india-rubber,  vanilla,  cloves,  cinnamon,  and  nutmegs.  The  government 
is  vested  in  a  governor  and  military  commandant,  an  ordonnatnir,  a  director 
of  the  interior,  a  procurator-general,  a  privy  council,  and  a  director  of  the 
penitentiary  service,  the  island  of  Cayenne  constituting  a  French  penal 
establishment.  There  is  a  court  of  appeal  and  a  tribunal  of  first  instance, 
and  justices  of  the  peace  are  appointed  for  each  of  the  cantons  into  which  the 
colony  is  subdivided.  Cayenne  is  administrated  by  a  municipal  council,  and 
religious  affairs,  which  are  wholly  of  Roman  Catholic  connection,  arc  under 
the  authority  of  an  apostolic  prefect.  The  French  first  settled  in  the  colony 
in  1604.  In  1763  the  government  sent  out  12,000  volunteer  immigrants,  and 
within  two  years  all  but  918  perished.  Large  numbers  of  political  prisoners 
were  transported  thither  during  the  French  Revolution;  the  colony  was  in- 
vaded by  the  British  and  Portuguese  in  1809,  and  restored  to  France  by 
treaty  of  I014;  and  it  was  made  a  convict  establishment  in  1851. 


A  CRKOLE  BEAUTY. 


THE 


Countries  of  Central  America: 

THEIR  CAPITALS  AND  SEAPORTS. 


HIS  division  of  the  American  continent  extends  from  Mexico  to> 
the  Isthmus  of  Panama,  and  from  the  Caribbean  Sea  on  the  east 
Ei  to  the  Pacific  Ocean  on  the  west.  Its  exact  geographical  location 
is  between  latitude  7°  and  18°  north,  and  longitude  81°  and  93°  west.  For- 
merly it  embraced  Yucatan,  now  incorporated  with  Mexico,  and  Panama, 
now  a  pair  of  the  United  States  of  Colombia,  in  South  America.  The  country 
was  conquered  by  Don  Pedro  de  Alvarado,  an  associate  of  Cortez,  in  1525,. 
and  it  remained  a  possession  of  Spain  from  that  time  till  1821,  when  the 
people  secured  their  independence,  and  organized  separate  States,  The  union: 
of  these  in  1823  formed  the  Republic  of  the  United  States  of  Central  America, 
which  was  dissolved  in  1839,  after  a  period  of  civil  war,  and  since  then  each. 
State  has  been  independent,  and  recognized  as  a  separate  republic,  though  a. 
movement  was  inaugurated  in  1887  looking  to  the  re-establishment  of  a  federal 
government  for  ail  of  them. 

The  entire  region  is  exceedingly  mountainous.  The  plateau  of  Veragua 
has  an  elevation  of  8,000  feet  above  the  sea  level  in  its  highest  part,  those  of 
Costa  Rica  and  Castago  are  from  2,200  to  4,000  feet,  the  tableland  of  Hon- 
duras is  4,000  feet,  and  thar.  of  Guatemala  S,ooo;  while  here  and  there  are 
peaks  rising  to  a  height  of  10,000  feet  and  over.  Of  the  numerous  rivers,  the 
Usamasinta  and  the  S  an  Juan  are  the  largest.  The  latter  is  the  outlet  of 
Lake  Nicaragua,  a  body  of  water  covering  an  urea  of  3,400  square  miles.  On 
the  east  coast  is  the  Gulf  of  Honduras,  and  on  the  Pacific  are  the  Gulfs  of 
Dulce,  Nicoya,  Fonseca,  and  Coronada  Bay.  A  large  portion  of  Central 
America  consists  of  land  of  remarkable  fertility;  agriculture  is  extensively 
pursued  but  in  rather  a  primitive  manner;  and  almost  all  kinds  of  crops  could 


688 


THE  COUNIRIKS   OF   CENTRAL   AMERICA: 


be  cultivated  profitably  with  improved  seed  and  modern  implements.  There 
are  numerous  mines  of  goltl,  silver,  copper,  /inc,  and  other  valuable  minerals; 
but,  like  agricultutj\  they  .iic  still  awaiting  the  spirit  of  enterprise  that  shall 
develop  them  as  the}'  deserve.  Under  the  disadvantages  of  inappreciation  and 
lack  of  facilities,  the  productive  wealth  of  the  entire  section  is  practically 
limited  to  cabinet-woods,  cotton,  coffee,  sugar,  cochineal,  indigo,  cocoa, 
sarsaparilla,  and  tobacco.  The  prevailing  form  of  religion  is  the  Roman 
Catholic,  which  was  introduced  when  the  whole  territory  was  one  state  under 
the  Spanish  crown,  and  known  as  the  kingdom  of  Guatemala.  Protestantism, 
however,  has  been  permitted  to  achieve  considerable  progress.  Each  .;tate 
maintains  a  small  standing  army,  is  terribly  in  debt,  and  has  experienced  the 
ill  effects  of  earthquakes,  revolutions,  and  serious  political  disturbances.  In 
1886  the  entire  area  was  estimated  at  189,689  square  miles,  and  the  popula- 
tion at  2,793,723.  The  republics  were  five  in  number,  Guatemala,  San  Sal- 
vador, Honduras,  Nicaragua,  and  Costa  Rica. 


THE  REPUBLIC  OF  GUATEMALA. 

HIS  is  the  most  northerly  of  the  Central  American  states,  ana  the 
most  populous.  Under  the  Spanish  occupation  it  embraced  the 
whole  of  the  Central  American  territory;  it  was  a  part  of  the 
confederation  for  eighteen  years;  established  itself  as  an  independent  republic 
in  1839;  adopted  its  constitution  in  1859;  and  revised  it  in  1879.  Its  area  in 
1886  was  44,800  square  miles,  and  its  population  1,322,544.  The  capital  was 
New  Guatemala.  The  executive  authority  was  vested  in  a  president  elected 
for  six  years;  the  legislative  in  a  national  assembly  whose  members  are  elected 
for  the  same  period.  The  president  was  assisted  by  a  cabinet  of  four  ministers, 
and  the  "  Sociedad  Economica,"  a  Spanish  institution  dating  from  1795. 
The  republic  has  an  admirable  educational  system,  which  receives  the  zealous 
-care  and  liberal  support  of  the  administration.  In  1880  there  were  666  public 
schools,  with  32,786  attendants,  beside  a  number  of  night  schools  maintained 
by  the  government  and  the  several  municipal  authorities,  and  many  private 
institutions  for  all  classes.  The  government  and  municipal  aid  in  that  year 
amounted  to  $216783.  Among  the  institutions  of  note  are  several  high  and 
normal  schools,  engineering,  medical,  and  pharmaceutical  colleges,  legal,  com- 
mercial, agricultural,   musical,  and   telegraphic  schools,  art   and  mechanical 


THEIR   CAPITALS   AND   SEAPORTS. 


68c> 


ucailcmics,  and  an  asylum  for  the  education  of  the  deaf  and  dumb.  The 
National  Institute  of  Technology,  established  at  Quezaltcnango  in  1871,  has 
already  achieved  a  grand  success  and  influence,  and  the  Belcn  Female  College, 
opened  in  the  capital  city  in  1876,  bids  fair  to  become  the  Central  American 
Vassar.  The  railroad  and  telegraphic  service  of  Guatemala  is  far  ahead  of 
that  of  the  other  republics,  and  is  being  extended  rapidly  in  order  to  facilitate 
the  development  of  mineral  and  agricultural  resources.  Rich  mines  of  gold,' 
silver,  and  iron  have  been  discovered,  that  will  justify  a  judicious  expenditure- 
to  render  them  accessible.  In  1885  the  public  revenues  amounted  to  $8,518,- 
947,  one-third  of  which  was  from  duties  on  imports,  and  the  expenditures  to 
$8,397'550;  the  public  viebt  aggregated  $10,705,581 ;  the  imports  were  valued 
at  $3,788,134,  and  the  exports,  chiefly  coffee,  $5,520,330.  There  were  iiz 
miles  of  railroad,  and  1,801  miles  of  telegraph  lines  in  operation^ 


CITY  OF  NEW  GUATEMALA. 

EW  GUATEMALA,  the  first  capital  of  the  republic,  now  known  as 
Old  Guatemala,  was  founded  by  Alvarado  in  1524,  constituted  a 
Roman  Catliolic  bishop's  sec  in  1533,  destroyed  by  a  deluge  of 
water  from  the  volcano  de  Agua  in  1541,  and  almost  wholly  destroyed  by  an 
earthquake  in  1773.  It  subsequently  suffered  severely  from  eruptions  of  the 
volcanoes  of  Agua  and  Fuego,  and  in  1799  the  rebuilding  of  the  city  was  be- 
gun. In  its  day  it  was  a  very  important  and  interesting  place,  and  contained 
many  buildings  of  great  solidity,  extent,  and  architectural  beauty.  The  ruin-a 
of  the  old  cathedral  show  a  length  of  300  feet,  a  width  of  120,  and  a  height 
of  70,  and  the  remains  of  fifty  large  windows.  The  old  city  had  a  population 
in  1885  of  20,000.  The  new  capital  city  was  built  thirty  miles  east  of  its  un- 
fortunate predecessor,  at  an  elevation  of  nearly  5,000  feet  above  the  sea  level, 
and  between  the  two  volcanoes  just  mentioned.  It  was  laid  out  in  streets  forty 
feet  wide,  and  provided  with  numerous  public  squares,  drinking  fountains,  and 
statues  of  noted  men.  Around  the  main  square,  which  is  625  feet  long  and 
535  wide,  are  grouped  the  cathedral,  built  in  1780,  the  archbishop's  palace, 
the  government  palaces,  the  ministerial  offices,  the  mint,  the  city  hall,  and  a 
row  of  business  houses.  Beside  the  buildings  already  mentioned  there  are 
twenty-four  other  churches,  a  hospital,  and  a  penitentiary,  spacious  military 
barracks,  a  theatre  that  cost  $200,000,  a  fine  post-office,,  a  large  hotel  con- 


' 


'690 


THE  COUNTRIKS   OF   CENTRAL  AMERICA: 


ducted  on  the  American  plan,  and  many  imposing  and  elegantly  furnished 
private  residences.  The  city  is  the  see  of  a  Roman  Catholic  archbishop,  and 
had  a  population  in  1886  of  58,456.  San  Jose  de  Guatemala  is  the  principal 
port  of  the   Republic    with  regard    to    impr"'  •;    and    Champerico,  the 

■most  northern  of  the  coffee-shipping  ports  of  ,  j....al  America  and  the  largest, 
is  the  chief  exporting  station. 


THE  REPUBLIC  OF  SAN  SALVADOR. 

HIS  is  the  smallest  of  the  republics  in  point  of  area,  and  the  second 
largest  in  point  of  population.  It  is  bounded  on  the  north  by 
Honduras,  on  the  east  by  the  Bay  of  Fonseca,  on  the  south  by  the 
Pacific  Ocean,  and  on  the  west  by  Guatemala.  Its  area  was  estimated  in  1886 
at  7,226  square  miles,  and  its  population  at  634,120.  The  country  is  traversed 
through  its  whole  extent  by  a  range  of  volcanic  mountains,  which  have  two 
peaks,  San  Vicente  and  San  Salvador,  with  an  elevation  of  over  q.cxx)  feet. 
Within  the  boundaries  of  the  republic,  this  range  presents  sixteen  peaks  which 
are  still  of  an  active  volcanic  character.  Although  generally  mountainous, 
the  country  has  a  number  of  table-lands  and  plateaus  of  fertile  soil  on  which 
agriculture  is  largely  and  quite  successfully  pursued.  Beside  the  cereals 
needed  for  domestic  consumption  the  chief  product  for  export  is  indigo. 

There  are  vast  tracts  of  dense  forest  which  yield  excellent  commercial 
timber,  a  greatly  appreciated  quality  of  cedar,  and  a  quantity  of  Peruvian 
balsam,  averaging  20,000  pounds  per  annum.  The  executive  authority  is 
vested  by  the  constitution  in  a  president  elected  for  four  years,  who  has  a 
•cabinet  of  five  ministers;  and  the  legislative  in  a  congress  comprising  a  senate 
of  twelve  members  and  a  chamber  of  deputies  of  twenty-four,  elected  for 
two  years.  The  people  are  more  inclined  to  modern  pursuits  than  those  of 
neighboring  states;  and  beside  agriculture  are  largely  engaged  in  various 
branches  of  manufactures.  Within  the  last  ten  years  they  have  also  made  con- 
siderable progress  in  developing  a  number  of  rich  iron  mines.  All  forms  of 
religion  are  permitted  by  the  constitution,  though  the  Roman  Catholic  has 
the  largest  number  of  adherents.  Education  is  highly  esteemed,  and  is  pro- 
moted by  the  government  to  the  extent  of  its  ability.  The  public  revenue  of 
the  republic  in  1887  was  $4,315,145,  the  national  expenditures  were  $4,291,850, 
-the  aggregate  debt  was  $4,750,000,  the  exports  (1884)  were  valued  at  $6,065,- 


TIIIUR   CAl'ITALS   AND   SKAI'ORTS. 


691 


799,  and  the  imports  .*;3,646,628.  Tlic  finances  of  the  country,  tlicrcforc, 
wrc  in  a  much  better  condition  than  those  of  its  larjjer  neighbors  teriitorially. 
Upon  the  dissolution  of  the  Central  y\merican  federation,  Salvador  maintained 
a  union  with  Honduras  and  Nicaragua  till  1855,  when  it  established  itself  as 
An  independent  State. 


CITY  OF   NUEVA   SAN   SALVADOR. 

UEVA  SAN  SALVADOR,  the  capital,  is  built  in  a  beautiful  valley 
at  an  elevation  of  nearly  3,000  feet  above  the  sea  level,  and  is  five 
yi  miles  from  La  Libertad,  its  port.  It  rests  at  the  base  of  the  volcano 
•of  the  same  name,  and,  though  entirely  destroyed  by  an  earthquake  on  April 
15th,  1854,  was  rebuilt  on  the  same  site.  It  has  the  usual  complement  of 
public,  ecclesiastical,  educational,  and  charitable  buildings;  its  edifices  are 
well  built,  and,  as  in  all  countries  liable  to  earthquakes,  are  seldom  over  two 
stories  in  height;  and  the  population  was  estimated  in  1886  ai  16,000.  In 
■colloquial  usage  the  "  San,"  in  the- name  of  the  republic  and  the  capital,  is 
;generally  omitted. 


THE  REPUBLIC  OF  HONDURAS. 

HE  third  republic  in  point  of  population  is  situated  between  latitude 
13°  10'  and  16°  5'  north  and  is  bounded  on  the  north  and  east  by 
the  Caribbean  Sea,  on  the  south  by  Nicaragua,  and  on  the  west 
by  San  Salvador  and  Guatemala.  It  has  a  coast  line  of  fifty  miles  on  the 
Pacific  Ocean,  and  of  over  400  on  the  Caribbean  Sea.  Its  area  in  1887  was 
estimated  at  39,600  square  miles,  and  its  population  at  331,917.  Honduras 
is  the  most  mountainous  region  of  all  Central  America,  The  Andes  cross  the 
entire  territory  from  northwe.-t  to  southeast,  leaving  a  belt  between  them 
and  the  Pacific  Ocean  from  fift)  to  sixty  miles  wide,  and  throwing  out  long 
branches  north,  east,  and  south.  These  include  the  Sierra  de  Copan,  the  Mer- 
enden,  the  Esperito  Santo,  the  Omoa,  the  Selaque  the  Montecillos,  the  Mis- 
oco,  the  Lepateriq'ie.  the  Comajagua,  the  San  Mareos,  and  the  Macuelizo.  The 
table-lands  formed  by  these  ranges  and  branches  are  among  the  highest 
known ;  the  Tegucigalpa  being  3,500  feet  above  sea  level,  Santa  Rosa  and 
Santa  Cruz  each  3,200,  Siguatepegrc  6,000,  Olancho  9,000,  Yutibuca  9,500,  and 


C)g2 


THE   COUNTRIES   OK   CENTRAL  AMERICA: 


Juticalp.i  lo.cxxj.  The  chief  rivers  are  the  Chamclecoii,  Ulu.i,  A^juau,  Hl.ick, 
I'atuca,  Segovia,  Guayape,  Choluteca,  and  Goascaraii.  The  most  remarkable 
inlaiui  lake  is  Yojoa,  in  a  beautiful  valley,  surrounded  by  hiyh  mountains  and 
having  a  length  of  forty-two  and  a  width  of  twelve  miles.  Nearly  all  these 
watercourses  are  navigable  by  boats  of  light  draught,  and  many  of  them  flow 
over  gold-bearing  sand. 

For  administrative  purposes  the  republic  la  divided  into  the  following 
departments:  Comayagua,  Tegucigalpa,  Choluteca,  Santa  Barbara,  Gracias, 
Copan,  Yoro,  El  Parais,  Olancho,  Bay  Islands,  and  Mosquitia.  The  principal 
ports  on  the  Caribbean  Sei  are  Omoa,  Trujillo,  and  Puerto  Cortes,  all  of 
which  have  commodious  and  safe  harbors,  and  the  best  harbor  on  the  Pacific 
is  that  of  Amapala,  on  the  Bay  of  Fonseca.  The  republic  is  governed  by  a 
president  with  a  cabinet  of  six  ministers,  and  an  assembly  of  forty-two  repre- 
sentatives. Honduras  chiefly  exports  gold  bullion,  indigo,  cattle,  timber, 
hides,  and  tobacco,  of  an  average  annual  value  of  $1,300,000,  and  its  lead- 
ing imports  are  cotton  and  silk  fabrics  from  England  and  cutlery  and  ma- 
chinery from  the  United  States.  The  public  revenue  in  1886  was  $1,420,860, 
one-third  derived  from  customs  duties  and  another  third  from  government 
monopolies;  the  expenditures  were  about  the  same;  the  national  debt  was 
$31,000,000;  and  the  total  va'vc  of  exports  was  $1,605,000.  There  were  sixty- 
nine  miles  of  railroad,  and  1,338  miles  of  telegraph  lines  in  operation.  Recent 
trade  with  the  United  States  is  thus  shown:  exports  (1886)  $730,559;  (1887) 
$857,919;  (1888)  $957,331;  imports  (1886)  .$428,104;  (1887)  $425,741;  (1888) 
$672,796.  Honduras  was  discovered  by  Columbus  August  14th,  1502,  and 
conquered  by  Cortes.  Under  Spanish  rule  it  grew  rapidly,  and  many  thrifty 
cities  were  founded.  In  1823  it  declared  its  independence  of  Spain,  became 
a  member  of  the  federation  of  Central  America,  and  for  a  while  after  the 
dissolution  in  1839  formed  a  union  with  San  Salvador  and  Nicaragua.  The 
country  is  rich  in  archseological  treasures  and  Toltec  history. 


CITY  OF  TEGUCIGALPA. 

[eGUCIGALPA,  the  capital,  in  the  department  of  the  same  name, 
is  one  of  the  most  important  centres  of  population,  richness,  and 
production  in  the  republic.  It  is  situated  on  a  plain  3,000  feet 
above  the  sea  level,  and  is  watered  by  the  picturesque  Choluteca  River.  In 
this  department  are  found  the  renowned  mines  of  Yuscaran,  San  Antonia, 


Tin:iR  CAPITALS  AND  SEAPORTS. 


693 


Santa  Lucia,  and  San  Juan  dc  Cantarranas.  Mount  Agaltcca  in  the  north- 
western  part  of  the  dcpartnicnt  is  a  huge  mass  of  pure  iron  metal.  The  capital 
city  is  on  the  right  bank  of  the  river,  surrounded  by  steep  mountains;  its 
streets  are  regularly  hiid  out,  and  neatly  paved  ;  and  its  houses  are  built  almost 
\vholly  of  stone,  and  with  considerable  architectural  taste.  It  has  six 
churches,  including  a  substantial  and  handsomely  decorated  cathedral,  a  uni- 
versity founded  in  1847,  a  mint,  the  official  residence  of  the  president,  gov- 
ernment buildings,  the  palace  of  the  Roman  Catholic  bishop  of  the  depart- 
ment diocese  and  the  National  Academy  of  Science  and  Art,  opened  1888. 
The  city  is  connected  with  the  town  of  Comayaguela,  on  the  opposite  side  of 
the  river,  by  a  .stone  bridge  with  ten  arches.  Its  business  is  transacted  through 
the  ports  of  Omoa  and  Trujillo,  on  the  Caribbean  coast,  and  through  Amalpa, 
on  the  Pacific.  The  population  in  1887  was  estimated  at  15,000,  and  was 
rapidly  increasing  for  Central  America. 


THE   REPUBLIC  OF   NICARAGUA. 

HE  second  state  of  Central  America  in  point  of  area,  though  gener- 
ally accounted  the  first,  embraces  the  territory  between  latitude 
10''  45'  and  14°  5S'  north,  and  longitude  83°  15'  and  87°  38'  west, 
and  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  Honduras,  on  the  east  by  the  Caribbean  Sea, 
on  the  south  by  Costa  Rica,  and  on  the  west  by  tl  c  Pacific  Ocean.  Its  area 
was  estimated  in  1886  at  58,000  square  miles — 168  less  than  that  of  Honduras, 
the  largest  state,  and  its  population  at  300,000.  In  public  circles  it  is  the  best 
known  and  most  studied  of  Central  American  states,  because  its  Ucitural  water 
courses  .almost  bisect  the  American  continent,  and  indicate  an  admirable 
location  for  a  ship-canal  connecting  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific  Oceans,  which 
has  been  the  dream  of  navigators  for  nearly  a  century. 

In  1850  the  governments  of  the  United  States  and  Great  Britain  concluded 
a  treaty  by  which  they  agreed  to  co-operate  in  the  establishment  of  a  secure 
and  neutral  line  of  communication  between  the  two  seas  by  way  of  the  San 
Juan  River  and  Lake  Nicaragua,  to  be  open  on  equal  terms  to  all  nations, 
with  a  free  port  at  each  end  of  the  line.  An  American  company  was  formed 
for  constructing  a  canal  and  operating  a  line  of  steamships.  Concessions 
were  freely  granted  by  the  various  administrations  of  Nicaragua;  survey  after 
.survey  was  made  by  parties  who  became  interested  in  the  general  scheme ; 


C94 


THE   COUNTRIES   OF   CENTRAL  AMERICA; 


the  United  States  government  had  the  whole  region  between  the  two  oceans, 
examined  many  times  by  its  best  naval  engineers;  but  up  tO' the  beginning 
of  1888  the  actual  construction  of  the  much-desired  canal  was  still  a  wori<  of 
the  future. 

Previous  to  1850  communication  had  been  maintained  between  the  Atlan- 
tic and  the  towns  of  Grenada  and  Nicaragua  by  means  of  flat-bottomed, 
boats.  The  passage  was  made  from  Grenada  to  San  Juan,  or  Greytown,  in 
about  eight  days,  while  the  return  passage,  being  against  the  stream,  occupied 
from  twelve  to  fifteen.  Subsequently  the  Nicaragua  Transit  Company  oper- 
ated a  route  which  involved  but  twelve  miles  of  land  carriage,  and  that  over 
a  good  macadamized  road.  During  the  early  part  of  1888  the  corps  of  United 
States  engineers,  which  had  for  some  time  been  making  most  detailed  surveys 
and  observations  to  fix  ilie  axial  location  of  the  purposed  interoceanic  canal, 
consolidated  their  reports  and  presented  to  the  public  in  July  what  may  be 
considered  the  most  thorough  and  scientific  plan  for  solving  the  great  problem. 
The  reports  favored  the  upper  location,  and  according  to  them  the  canal 
would  extend  from  the  roadstead  of  Brito  on  the  Pacific,  to  the  harbor  of 
Greytown  on  the  Atlantic,  in  all  a  distance  of  169.8  miles.  Of  this  139.9  would 
be  slack-water  navigation  through  the  basins  of  the  rivers  Deseado,  San 
Francisco,  San  Juan,  Lajas,  Rio  Grande,  and  Lake  Nicaragua,  leaving  only 
29.9  miles  of  actual  excavation  to  be  made.  The  canal  would  be  eighty  feet 
wide  at  the  bottom  in  deep  cuts,  and  120  feet  in  terminal  ones  and  other 
enlarged  sections.  At  the  surface  of  the  water  the  width  would  be  eighty 
feet  in  deep  rock  cuts,  and  from  180  to  340  feet  at  other  points.  The  esti- 
mated time  of  transit  from  ocean  to  ocean,  on  the  basis  of  a  speed  of  five 
miles  per  hour  in  the  canal  proper,  eight  to  ten  miles  per  hour  in  the  river  and 
lake,  and  forty-five  minutes  detention  at  each  of  the  five  locks,would  be  twenty- 
eight  hours.  The  total  cost  was  estimated  at  $50,000,000.  Preliminary  work 
on  the  restoration  and  improvement  of  Greytown  harbor  was  in  progress,  and 
work  on  the  construction  of  the  canal  proper  was  begun  in  the  summer  of 
1S89. 

The  principal  rivers  of  Nicaragua  are  the  Segovia  and  the  San  Juan ;  the 
former  forms  the  northern  boundary,  and  the  hitter  the  southern.  The  San 
Juan  is  the  only  channel  by  which  Lake  Nicaragua  discharges  its  waters  inta 
the  Atlantic.  The  lake  is  100  miles  long  and  about  forty  miles  broad,  and  is 
the  reservoir  of  a  great  extent  of  mountainous  country.  It  contains  several 
islands,  among  which  Omotepec  is  remarkable  for  a  high  volcano  and  for  its 


THEIR  CAPITALS  AND   SEAPORTS. 


695 


fertility,  and  was  long  the  abode  of  an  industrious  tribe  of  Indians.  Lake 
Managiia  empties  into  Lake  Nicaragua  through  the  river  Tipi  Tapi ;  the 
rivers  Malacatoya,  Rio  de  Punta  Tulc,  Gil  Gonzales,  Las  Lajas,  and  Ocho 
Mogo,  empty  into  Lake  Nicaragua ;  and  the  Sabalo,  San  Carlos,  and  Serapa- 
qui,  rising  in  Costa  Rica,  empty  into  the  San  Juan.  Upper  Nicaragua,  whore 
the  lakes  are  situated,  has  a  regular  rainy  and  dry  season,  and  lower  or  eastern 
Nicaragua,  which  includes  Greytown  and  nearly  all  the  San  Juan  region,  has 
the  climate  of  the  Caribbean  Sea,  where  it  rains  every  month  in  the  year. 
The  departments  of  Segovia,  Matagalpa,  Chotales,  and  Mosquito,  in  eastern 
Nicaragua,  are  munificently  endowed  by  nature.  Forests  of  logwood,  morau, 
mahogany,  and  various  cabinet  woods  abound:  large  deposits  of  caoutchouc 
gum  are  a  source  of  considerable  wealth ;  the  mountains  of  Chontales  contain 
gold,  both  placer,  mining,  and  quartz ;  and  those  of  Segovia  extensive  veins 
of  silver.  The  soil  of  the  republic  is  in  general  very  fertile ;  the  chief  agri- 
cultural industries  are  the  cultivation  of  coffee,  cocoa,  indigo,  cotton,  maize, 
and  fruits.  Cattle  are  among  the  principal  sources  of  wealth,  very  large 
numbers  of  them  being  kept  on  the  plains  along  the  eastern  sides  of  the  lakes. 
The  manufactures  are  almost  wholly  confined  to  articles  required  for  home 
use,  and  are  chiefly  coarse  cotton  and  woollen  cloths,  the  former  being  dyed 
a  purple  color,  by  means  of  a  shell  fish  caught  in  the  vicinity  of  San  Juan 
del  Sur. 

The  republic  is  politically  divided  into  five  departments,  Segovia  com- 
prising the  northeastern  part,  Leon  the  north  and  northwestern,  Managua  the 
district  south  of  Leon,  Granada  that  south  of  Managua,  and  Nicaragua  the 
most  southern  part  bordering  on  Costa  Rica.  The  capitals  bear  the  depart- 
ment names.  Segovia  is  in  a  healthy  and  fertile  region,  and  has  a  large 
amount  of  undeveloped  mineral  wealth ;  Leon,  the  former  capital  of  the  re- 
public, is  on  the  road  which  leads  from  the  best  cultivated  district  of  the 
republic  to  the  harbor  of  Realejo,  contains  a  cathedral,  several  churches,  a 
university  and  a  college,  and  has  suffered  greatly  from  political  disturbances; 
Monagua  is  on  the  south  bank  of  the  lake  of  that  name,  is  surrounded  by 
rich  coffee  plantations,  has  a  number  of  manufactories,  and  in  1889  was  the 
capital  of  the  republic,  with  an  estimated  population  of  12,000;  Granadr., 
on  the  northwestern  bank  of  Lake  Nicaragua,  has  a  considerable  trade  through 
the  river  and  harbor  of  the  San  Juan,  and  .jontains  several  churches  and  con- 
vents;  and  Nicaragua  is  about  two  miles  from  the  west  bank  of  Lake  Nicara- 
gua, and  is  surrounded  by  a  district  noted  for  its  fertility,  especially  in  cacao 


696 


THE   COUNTRIES   OF  CENTRAL  AMERICA. 


and  grapes.  The  modern  Grey^own,  the  Atlantic  terminus  of  the  proposed 
inter-oceanic  canal,  has  been  known  as  San  Juan  del  Nicaragua,  and  was  the 
chief  trading  town  of  the  former  Mosquito  kingdom,  on  the  Caribbean  coast, 
of  which  Blewfields  was  the  capital.  Greytown  was  almost  entirely  destroyed 
by  United  States  war  vessels  on  July  12th,  1854,  but  it  was  subsequently 
rebuilt  and  improved.  It  has  a  natural  harbor  of  considerable  extent  and 
large  commercial  importance. 

Nicaragua  is  governed  by  a  president  elected  for  four  years,  who  has  a 
cabinet  of  four  ministers.  The  legislative  authority  is  vested  in  a  congress 
comprising  a  senate  of  ten  members  and  an  assembly  of  eleven  representa- 
tives. The  chief  exports  are  gold  and  silver  bullion,  coffee,  hides,  and  cabinet 
woods.  The  public  revenue  in  1887  was  $3,393,295,  and  the  expenditures  were 
larger;  the  exports  were  valued  at  $5,781,850  and  the  imports  $3,982,640. 

The  territory  along  the  Caribbean  Sea  constituted  the  Indian  kingdom  of 
Mosquito  or  Mosquitia;  the  first  settlement  of  Englishmen  on  the  coast  was 
made  in  1730,  when  families  settled  at  Cape  Gracias  a  Dios  on  Black  River 
anciat  the  mouth  of  Blewfields  River.  In  181 3,  when  Central  America  secured 
its  independence  from  Spain,  Nicaragua  claimed  the  Mosquito  territory,  the 
king  appealed  to  Great  Britain,  who  rejected  the  claims  and  guaranteed  the 
sovereignty  of  the  coast  to  the  king.  The  United  States  protested  against 
the  English  protectorate  and  refused  to  acknowledge  it.  In  1850,  in  the 
treaty  between  the  United  States  and  Great  Britain,  already  mentioned,  the 
latter  abandoned  the  protectorate,  the  king  of  Mosquito  was  thrown  upon  his 
own  resources,  and  before  long  his  territory  was  merged  with  that  of  Nica- 
ragua. The  republic  was  the  scene  of  the  chief  operations  of  William  Walker, 
the  i^merican  filibuster,  in  1854,  '55,  '56,  '57,  and  '60. 


THE    REPUBLIC   OF  COSTA   RICA 

HE  most  southerly  state  in  Central  America  extends  entirely 
across  the  isthmus,  lies  between  latitude  8°  and  11°  30'  north, 
and  longitude  83''^  and  85°  40'  west;  is  bounded  on  the  north  by 
Nicaragua,  on  the  cast  by  the  Mosquito  Gulf,  on  the  south  by  the  Isthmus  of 
Panama  and  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  and  on  the  west  by  the  Atlantic  ;  and 
had  an  estimated  area  in  1886  of  21,495  square  miles  and  a  population  of  213,- 


THEIR  CAPITALS   AND   SEAPORTS. 


697 


785.  The  surface  of  the  country  comprises  for  the  most  part  a  table-land, 
with  an  elevation  of  over  2,000  feet  above  sea  level.  From  the  range  of  the 
Cabegares  Mountains  in  Veragua,  east  of  the  plain  of  Chiriqui,  there  stretches 
a  considerable  number  of  mountain  peaks,  many  of  them  of  considerable 
height,  and  a  large  part  of  them  volcanic.  Some  of  them  attain  an  elevation 
of  10,000  feet,  and  one,  the  volcano  of  Cartago,  is  said  to  be  11,480  feet  high. 
Toward  the  Gulf  the  descent  is  very  abrupt,  but  on  the  Pacific  side  it  is  quite 
gradual.  The  only  important  river  is  the  San  Juan,  common  to  it  and  Nica- 
ragua; the  Pacific  portion  has  the  Estrella,  Arena,  and  Baranca,  all  with  a 
short  couiae.  The  climate  is  more  regular  and  healthy  than  in  other  parts  of 
Central  America,  the  thermometer  seldom  rising  above  85°  nor  falling  below 
65°  F. 

The  soil  is  of  varied  quality,  but  in  many  parts  highly  productive.  On 
the  more  elevated  districts  there  are  few  forests,  but  on  the  lower  declivities 
and  particularly  along  the  eastern  coast  they  are  very  abundant,  and  yield  a 
large  quantity  of  Brazil  wood,  mahogany,  and  cedar  for  export.  Coffee  is 
the  staple  product,  though  considerable  quantities  of  wheat,  maize,  sugar, 
tobacco,  and  indigo  are  raised  and  find  a  ready  sale.  Fruits  and  vegetables 
are  largely  cultivated  for  home  consumption,  and  cattle,  horses,  mules,  sheep, 
swine,  and  poultry  are  raised  in  great  numbers.  Costa  Rica  has  three  consider- 
able gulfs,  that  of  Chiriqui  on  the  Pacific  side  and  those  of  Nicoya  and  Dulce 
on  the  Atlantic.  Large  gold  mines  exist  near  the  Gulf  of  Nicoya,  and  valu- 
able veins  of  silver,  copper,  and  coal  elsewhere. 

The  republic  is  divided  politically  into  six  provinces,  San  Jose,  Cartago, 
Heredia,  Alajuela,  Guanaceute,  and  Punta  de  Arenas.  The  executive  au- 
thority is  vested  in  a  president,  formerly  elected  for  six  years,  but  now  for 
four,  two  vice-presidents,  and  a  cabinet  of  four  minisf  ,'rs;  the  legislative  in 
a  congress  of  deputies  also  chosen  for  four  years.  The  public  revenue  for 
1886  amounted  to  $2,387,290,  one-third  of  which  was  from  the  government 
monopoly  on  tobacco  and  brandy,  and  the  rest  from  custom  duties  and  a  vari- 
ety of  taxes;  and  the  expenditures  to  $3,088,944;  the  debt  was  $11,942,070; 
the  imports  $3,661,000,  and  the  exports  $3,297,000.  The  Roman  Catholic  is 
the  established  religion,  but  other  forms  of  worship  are  permiil  'd.  The 
church  is  presided  over  by  the  Bishop  of  San  Jose,  and  the  ch'jf  court  of 
justice  is  the  Tribunal  of  San  Jos6,  over  which  seven  judges  preside.  The 
white  inhabitants  of  the  republic  are  relatively  more  numerous  in  Costa  Rica 
than  in  the  other  republics  of  Central  America ;  the  eastern  side  of  the  country 


698  THE   COUNTRIES  OF   CENTRAL  AMERICA. 

is  mainly  occupied  by  Indians,  while  on  the  western  side  of  the  table-land 
are  large  numbers  of  ladinos  or  mulattoes.  The  country  formed  a  part  of  the 
kingdom  of  Guatemala  during  the  Spanish  occupation,  and  for  two  years 
after  the  declaration  of  independence  was  united  to  the  Mexican  kingdom  of 
Iturbide;  but  in  1823  it  joined  the  federation  of  Central  America.  On  the 
dissolution  of  that  union  it  established  itself  as  an  independent  State.  In 
1882  the  towns  of  Alajuela,  San  Ramon,  Grecia,  and  Heredia  were  nearly 
destroyed  by  an  earthquake,  which  caused  a  loss  of  several  thousand  lives. 
In  1886  there  were  170  miles  of  railroad  and  451  of  telegraph  lines  in  opera- 
tion in  the  country. 


CITY  OF  SAN  JOSE. 

AN  JOSE,  the  capital  of  the  republic,  is  on  a  table-land,  4,500  feet 
above  sea  level,  in  latitude  10°  56'  north,  and  longitude  83°  45' 
west.  It  is  about  fifteen  miles  northwest  of  Cartago,  the  former 
capital,  and  is  connected  with  Punta  Arenas,  its  seaport,  by  a  carriage  road. 
It  is  a  modern  city,  having  been  built  since  the  separation  from  Spain,  and 
contains  the  government  buildings,  legislative  halls,  courts  of  justice,  palace 
of  the  Roman  C:*tholic  bishop,  and  a  population  (1886)  of  26,000.  Prior  to  the 
great  earthquake,  Alajuela  was  the  second  place  of  importance  in  the  republic, 
with  a  population  of  nearly  8,000.  It  was  at  the  lermiwus  of  the  railroad  that 
started  from  Cartago,  near  the  centre  of  the  country,  ran  northwest  for  twenty 
miles  to  San  Jos6,  then  nearly  west  for  ten  miles  to  Heredia,  and  then  south- 
west ten  miles  to  its  other  terminus.  The  town  was  well  built,  aU  the  houses 
being  one  story  in  height  and  made  of  adobe,  most  of  them  having  tile  roofs. 
It  was  surrounded  by  rich  coffee  plantations  that  extended  as  far  as  Heredia, 
which  had  a  population  of  6,000.  Alajuela  stood  nearly  midway  bet\'  een  San 
Josd  and  Punta  de  Arenas.  Cartago  is  at  the  base  of  the  volcano  of  the  same 
name,  and  was  formerly  not  only  the  capital  of  the  republic  but  a  place  of 
much  commercial  importance.  In  1841  it  was  almost  entirely  destroyed  by 
an  earthquake,  which  ruined  seven  of  its  eight  churches  and  nearly  3,000  houses. 


the  table-land 
d  a  part  of  the 
for  two  years 
in  kingdom  of 
erica.  On  the 
ent  State.  In 
a  were  nearly 
housand  lives, 
lines  in  opera- 


and,  4,500  feet 
jitude  83°  45' 
go,  the  former 
carriage  road, 
om  Spain,  and 
justice,  palace 
).  Prior  to  the 
n  the  republic, 
e  railroad  that 
/est  for  twenty 
nd  then  south- 
all  the  houses 
ving  tile  roofs, 
far  as  Heredia, 
y  betx'een  San 
no  of  the  same 
but  a  place  of 
'  destroyed  by 
y  3,000  houses. 


